New Vaccine Schedule For Adolescents
As always, Suburban Pediatric Associates recommends following the immunization guidelines established by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. These two agencies have revised their policy on adolescent immunizations, and we urge you to consider following these recommendations.
- Diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus booster – Your child will have received a primary series prior to kindergarten entry. Boosters are now recommended 5-6 years after the completion of the primary series (at around age 11) and then again 5 years later.
- Meningitis booster – Immunization against meningococcal meningitis has been part of the standard vaccine schedule at around age 11 for many years. A booster prior to high school graduation is now recommended.
- Hepatitis A series – This 2 shot series has been standard for many years but is now being required by most colleges and universities. Some children will have had the series in early childhood, and no additional boosters are needed.
- Human papillomavirus (HPV) [Gardasil] – This series of three immunizations has been strongly recommended for all adolescent girls since 2006. It provides excellent protection against the forms of HPV that are responsible for most cases of cervical cancer and genital warts. As of this summer, Gardasil is now recommended for boys, as well. While they clearly cannot get cervical cancer, males commonly get genital warts– and of course most girls contract the virus from an infected male partner. Immunizing teens before they become sexually active is the best course of action as the vaccine is ineffective if the infection is already present. The series consists of 3 shots – 2 months between #1 and #2, 4 months between #2 and #3.
Ask Your Care Provider For More Information And
Don’t Stop Immunizing Against Tomorrow! |
