Teen vaccination rates improved, but many go without recommended shots

Since last year there has been a substantial improvement in the number of adolescents and teens getting their vaccinations, but many are still not receiving all the shots recommended by health officials, a US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention survey has found.

Since 2005, US health officials have recommended three new vaccines for adolescents: a vaccine against meningococcus, a bacteria that can cause a fatal brain infection; a vaccine against human papilloma virus, (HPV), a virus that can cause cervical cancer; and a combination vaccine that helps protect against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (also known as whooping cough).

In addition, officials recommended that adolescents and teens get caught up with childhood vaccines they may have missed growing up, including shots for measles, mumps, rubella (also known as German measles), hepatitis B and varicella, which causes chickenpox. 

Health officials have set as a goal for 2010 that 90% of teens and preteens will have received three doses of the hepatitis B vaccine, two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, and one dose of either the tetanus-diphtheria or the tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis vaccine; and, for those who had never had chickenpox, one dose of the varicella vaccine.

In the survey, CDC investigators found that more than 80% of preteens and teens had received three or more doses of the hepatitis B vaccine and two or more doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.

But only 30.4% had received the new meningococcal vaccine, though this was up from just 11.7% in 2006, and only 30.1% had received the tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis vaccine.

More than 25% of adolescent girls had received the HPV shot, the survey found.

Although the overall trends were “good news,” said Dr. Lance Rodewald, director of the Division of Immunization Services at the CDC, “we want at least 90% of adolescents to be fully immunized. As such, what have much work to do to get many more adolescents protected.”

To learn more:

• Visit Public Health – Seattle & King County webpage on child and adult immunizations, which includes lists of recommended vaccines and “catch-up” schedules for those whose shots may not be up-to-date.
• Visit the Washington State Department of Health Immunization Program webpage
• Read the CDC report which appears in the Oct. 10 issues of the CDC’s weekly publication MMWR.

To learn more

Tags: Adolescents, Immunizations, Preteens, Shots, Teens, Vaccines

Category: Child & Youth Health, Prevention