Children's Vaccines Health Center

Recommended immunizations

The importance of continued immunizations in adolescence (ages 11 through about 21 years) is not always recognized. Adolescents need to continue their immunization series and receive booster shots for ongoing protection (immunity) against diseases. Many adolescents were born after the current recommendations for certain immunizations, such as for hepatitis B, were established. So they did not receive all their needed shots (injections) in early childhood.

The U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Family Physicians recommend a specific immunization schedule for children and adolescents each year.⁵ This schedule outlines the immunizations and booster shots needed during adolescence and also when catch-up immunizations should be given.

To see or print a list of what shots are needed, go to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) interactive website at www2.cdc.gov/nip/adultImmSched.

Immunizations given during adolescence usually include:

Flu (influenza) (What is a PDF document?)

This immunization helps protect against the seasonal flu and the H1N1 (swine) flu. Flu viruses are always changing, so the flu vaccines are updated every year. Protection lasts up to a year for each flu vaccine type.

Who should get it?

Flu immunization is recommended once a year for:

• All people ages 6 months and older.
• Household contacts and caregivers of anyone who is at high risk for complications of the flu.
• Anyone who wants to reduce the chance of becoming ill with the flu or spreading it to others.

Healthy people ages 2 years through 49 years can usually get the nasal spray flu vaccine (FluMist)(What is a PDF document?) instead of the flu shot. Pregnant women can get the flu shot but not FluMist.

For more information about the flu, see the topics Influenza (Seasonal Flu) and H1N1 Influenza (Swine Flu). For the most current CDC guidelines about the flu, go to www.cdc.gov/flu.

Human papillomavirus (HPV)

The vaccines Cervarix(What is a PDF document?) and Gardasil(What is a PDF document?) protect against two types of human papillomavirus (HPV) that cause cervical cancer. Gardasil also protects against two types of HPV that cause genital warts. And it protects against some uncommon cancers, such as vaginal cancer.

Who should get it?

• Girls 11 or 12 years old need three doses of either Cervarix or Gardasil, given over 6 months. (The series of shots can be given to girls as young as 9 or 10 years old.)
• Females 13 to 26 years old who did not get it when they were younger should get this series of shots.
• Males ages 9 to 26 can get three Gardasil shots to reduce the chance of getting genital warts.