Does Your Back-to-School Checklist Include Vaccinations?

From newborns to college, you can help protect your children from 16 serious diseases by getting them vaccinated. Make sure your kids get any needed vaccines before the back-to-school rush! Schedule an appointment with your pediatrician or county health department now.

As a parent, making sure your children are vaccinated on time is an important step toward ensuring their long-term health. Vaccination also helps protect the health of classmates, friends, relatives, and others in the community.

For a more extensive explanation, as well as recommended vaccines for 19 and older, adults, and pregnant mothers, visit alabamapublichealth.gov/
Immunization.

The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH), Immunization Division (IMM), Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Advisory
Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), and the American College Health Association (ACHA) recommend that it is better and safer, in most
cases, to vaccinate or revaccinate instead of titer testing.

In addition, ADPH and CDC encourage all colleges to consider utilizing Alabama’s immunization registry, Immunization Patient Resources with Integrated Technology (ImmPRINT), to access all vaccine histories for all students.

PRETEENS AND TEENS

Please note there are guidelines for specific vaccines for preteens and teens that have been established by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and other medical organizations. (See the charts.)

• Tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis (Tdap) or tetanus-diphtheria (Td) booster: The Tdap vaccine should be given to children aged 11 to 12 years. It can be given at 13-18 years if not received at an earlier age. Tdap can be given regardless of the time since receiving a previous Td-containing vaccine. The Td booster is used in persons who should not get the pertussis vaccine.
• Meningococcal: The meningococcal conjugate vaccine is recommended for all preteens and teens at 11 to 12 years old, with a booster dose at 16 years old. Teens may also be vaccinated with a serogroup B meningococcal vaccine (two or three doses depending on the brand), preferably at 16 through 18 years old. Any older teen who has never been vaccinated should get vaccinated as soon as possible.
• Human papillomavirus (HPV): The HPV vaccine is recommended for children aged 11-12 years so that they are protected before exposure to the virus. The HPV vaccine is given as a two-dose series before age 15. Both girls and boys should receive two doses of the vaccine to prevent HPV-related diseases. Teens 13 years and older who either did not get any or did not receive all of the HPV vaccines when they were younger should complete the vaccine series. Adolescents older than 15 at the start of the vaccination series and young adults need three HPV shots for full protection.
• Influenza: All teenagers (and everyone else six months of age and older) should be vaccinated every year with the influenza vaccine as soon as it becomes available in the community.

As always, it is best to consult your personal physician for advice. There are some childhood conditions that might prohibit a particular vaccine, for example.

Note that the Jefferson County Department of Public Health’s four locations offer many vaccines at a nominal cost. Check the ADPH website for locations. If you live in other Alabama counties, check the website for a location near you, alabamapublichealth.gov/index.html, or call 800-252-1818.