Healthy Children: Adolescent immunizations

As many of you know, Dr. P is bullish on immunizations.

No question, the creation of vaccines to prevent illness is one of the great inventions of the 20th century and has saved the lives of countless children. Risks are minimal, especially compared to benefits. Period. End of discussion.

In the U.S., we've done a great job of immunizing and preventing illness in our little ones. (Watch for additional vaccines in 2006 - e.g., to prevent rotavirus, which causes a nasty diarrhea).

The action in vaccines in 2006, however, may be with older kids, i.e., your pre-adolescent and adolescent kids:

As I wrote in my blog on 12/14/05, it looks like immunity to whooping cough ("pertussis") often wears off after a decade and that your adolescent should get a 'booster' shot with the "acellular pertussis vaccine".
Half of all serious infections from a bacteria called meningococcus occur in 15-24 year olds. This is the bacteria that can cause meningitis and is pretty contagious for kids living in close quarters with others (e.g., dormatories). A new, more effective vaccine called quadrivalent conjugate meningococcal vaccine is now approved for children 11 years and older.

(While a concern has been raised about the vaccine possibly leading to a rare neurological problem (Guillain-Barre Syndrome seen in 6 cases out of 2.8 million doses), the risk of a meningococcus infection is far greater. For this reason, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends its administration at the pre-adolescent pediatric visit.)

A vaccine to prevent "human papillovirus" (HPV) is close to being approved. HPV is responsible for the development of 2/3 of all cervical cancers. Stay tuned for the recommendation that it be added to the immunizations given to kids after the age of 10. If it works and we're lucky, maybe we can make cervical cancer as rare as hen's teeth.

Dr. P's bottom line
Just because your little baby is now taller than you, don't think the risk of illness or the need for immunizations has passed. Keep up with new vaccines as they are licensed and discuss with your pediatric provider giving them to your pre-adolescent or adolescent child.