Vaccination For Teens
No teenager enjoys getting having a needle poked in their arm but vaccination for teens are a necessary part of life. Throughout our lives, our bodies work non-stop to protect us from negative bacteria and viruses, but sometimes they need a little help, in the form of vaccinations. They are our most effective health intervention, preventing an estimated 2-3 million deaths worldwide every year! They are especially important for teenagers as this is the age where they start to become increasingly independent, start socialising more and go to college, so it’s imperative you know exactly what vaccination for teens they should be getting.
Vaccination For Teens: How Do Vaccines Work?
In short, vaccines contain a small part of the virus or bacteria that is responsible for causing a disease. When the body is injected with this, the immune system immediately gets to work producing antibodies against the harmful virus or bacteria. These antibodies remain in the body, ready to attack that specific virus or bacteria and protect your teenager if they ever encounter that infection.
This may sound a little scary to some parents but the importance of having your teenager vaccinated cannot be understated. After all, vaccines only work if everyone receives them. If you’re somewhat sceptical about the possible side-effects of the vaccine, it is worth noting that these pale in comparison compared to the disease the vaccine protects you from, and most people don’t receive any side-effects whatsoever. While the body is a powerful tool, it is not always strong enough to fight life-threatening diseases such as polio and meningococcal disease. Vaccination for teens is not just important for your teenager but for every teenager they encounter, so please reconsider if you’re opposed to them.
Vaccination For Teens: Possible Side-Effects
One of the main arguments against vaccination for teens is the short and long term side effects that may occur as a direct result of receiving them. As mentioned, most teenagers won’t experience any side-effects whatsoever and the small majority that does will only experience very mild and short-term effects.
Any licensed vaccine is rigorously tested across multiple phases of trials before it is approved for use and regularly reassessed once it is introduced. Scientists are also constantly monitoring information from several sources for any sign that a vaccine may cause health risks.
It is important to remember that you are far more likely to be seriously injured by a vaccine-preventable disease than by a vaccine. For example, tetanus can cause extreme pain, muscle spasms (lockjaw) and blood clots, measles can cause encephalitis (an infection of the brain) and blindness. Many vaccine-preventable diseases can even result in death. The benefits of vaccination greatly outweigh the risks, and many more illnesses and deaths would occur without vaccines.
After your teen gets a vaccination, they might experience the following:
Redness and soreness: Placing a cool, damp cloth on the vaccinated area to help reduce redness and/or soreness where the shot was given.
Fainting after getting a shot: Fainting after any vaccine is more common among adolescents. Sitting or lying down when getting a shot and then for about 15 minutes after the shot, can help prevent fainting.
Vaccination For Teens: Required Vaccines
Doctors now recommend that teens are vaccinated against the following diseases:
diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (called the Tdap vaccine)
measles, mumps, rubella (the MMR vaccine)
hepatitis A
hepatitis B
meningococcal disease (e.g., meningitis)
human papillomavirus (HPV)
varicella (chickenpox) if you have not had the disease
polio
flu (influenza)
Covid-19
If your teen has already had a disease like chickenpox, they won't need the vaccine. And if it turns out they missed one or more of the required immunizations, they can still get them from your doctor, it's never too late! After getting a vaccination, it generally takes 10 days to 2 weeks for the body to build up immunity to a disease.
Once they have a certificate from their doctor that they’ve had all their vaccines, keep it filed away so they can find it easily later. If they plan to go to college, they will need to show proof that they’ve had a condition or been immunized. For example, many states in America recommend and several of them require that some college students receive the meningococcal conjugate vaccine. Some jobs also require proof of immunization — for example, if you are working or volunteering in a hospital.
If you’re unsure if your teen is due for a vaccine or may have missed one, bring this up with your doctor and ask them if they have received all the recommended vaccinations. You can never be too safe after all!
Vaccination For Teens: When Not To Get The Vaccine
Different vaccines have different components and each one can affect people differently. Certain vaccinations are not suitable for certain people and while your doctor will probably alert you to this, it is important to know this yourself. Certain individuals with a compromised immune system are typically advised to wait. And people who have experienced allergic reactions to a particular vaccine are generally told to avoid follow-up doses. I have listed a few of the most common vaccination for teens and when they should be avoided or delayed:
Influenza (Flu)
You should not get vaccinated for influenza if you:
have had a past severe, life-threatening reaction to the flu vaccine
are an infant younger than 6 months old
are currently moderately to severely ill
People with a history of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) should discuss the risks of the flu vaccine with their doctor.
Some people may not be able to receive the live influenza vaccine (LAIV), which is the nasal spray flu vaccine. Talk with your doctor if any of the following apply to you or your child:
children under 2 years of age
young children with a history of asthma or wheezing
pregnant women
people with chronic diseases, such as heart disease, liver disease, or asthma
people with certain muscle or nerve diseases that can cause breathing problems
people who have compromised immune systems
people working or living with those who have compromised immune systems
children or adolescents on long-term aspirin treatment
Hepatitis A
People who are sick are generally advised to wait for the vaccination. Pregnant teens may also be advised to wait for the vaccination. However, the risk to the fetus is low. If a pregnant teen is at high risk for HepA, vaccination may still be recommended.
Hepatitis B
While this is a routine vaccination, if you have experienced/are experiencing any of the following, talk to your doctor first:
severe allergy any of the vaccine components
past severe reaction to HepB vaccine
moderate to severe current illness
HPV
It is advised that the following people avoid the HPV vaccine:
those with severe allergies to previous doses or HPV vaccine components
pregnant women (breastfeeding is fine)
people with a current moderate-to-severe illness
TDAP - tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis
Routine vaccines are recommended. However, there are certain people who should not get these vaccines, including:
people who have had a severe allergic reaction to past doses of DTP, DTaP, DT, or Td (various forms of vaccines for tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis)
people who have had a severe allergic reaction to any component of a vaccine such as aluminium
people who have had a coma or seizures within seven days of receiving the DTP, Tdap, or DTaP vaccines
people who are currently moderately to severely ill
Other concerns to discuss with your doctor before getting the Tdap vaccine include:
having epilepsy
experiencing severe pain or swelling from past doses of DTP, DTaP, DT, Td, or Tdap
having had Guillain-Barré syndrome
Shingles
Avoid the shingles vaccine if you:
have severe allergies to any of the vaccine components
have a weakened immune system (talk to your doctor to see if you fall under this category)
are pregnant, might be pregnant, or intend to get pregnant within the next month
are currently moderately to severely ill, or have a fever of 101.3 °F or higher
Meningococcal Disease
People who shouldn’t receive the meningococcal vaccine include:
anyone with a current moderate-to-severe illness
anyone with a history of severe, life-threatening allergic reactions to the meningococcal vaccine
anyone severely allergic to a vaccine component
COVID-19
People who shouldn’t receive the COVID-19 vaccine include:
anyone with a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to any component of the COVID-19 vaccine should not receive the vaccine
anyone with a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to any vaccine or injectable (intramuscular or intravenous) medication should consult with their health provider to assess risk prior to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine
