Vaccine Schedule

Adolescent Vaccine Schedule

Only the 7th grade Tdap is currently a required vaccine. The others are optional at this time.

Boys Entering 7th Grade: Tdap and Meningitis Vaccines
Girls Entering 7th Grade: Tdap, Meningitis, and Cervical Cancer Vaccines
Girls Entering 8th - 11th Grade: Cervical Cancer Vaccine if not already received.
Boys Entering 12th Grade and older: Tdap Vaccine
Girls Entering 12th Grade and older: Tdap Vaccine, and Cervical Cancer Vaccine if not already received

Tdap Vaccine

We have been using a new form of diphtheria and tetanus vaccine for adolescents entering 7th grade for several years. The Tdap vaccine adds protection against pertussis ("whooping cough") to the previous vaccine that protected against diphteria and tetanus only. This new vaccine should significantly diminish the number of cases of whooping cough recently being seen in middle schools and high schools. The Tdap vaccine is now recommended for adolescents who received the old Td vaccine more than five years ago. In most cases this will occur prior to 12th grade.

The new Tdap vaccine is also recommended for adolescents and adults who are exposed to pertussis ("whooping cough,") or who have significant family or work-related exposure to young infants, even if they have had the old Td vaccine in the past five years. Young infants are not yet vaccinated against pertussis, and the disease can be deadly to them. Parents of newborn infants are encouraged to seek this new vaccine from their own physicians.

Meningitis Vaccine

We are recommending the meningococcal ("meningitis") vaccine, known as MCV4 or Menactra, for all adolescents entering 7th grade. Only one dose of the vaccine is needed.

Cervical Cancer Vaccine

We are also recommending the HPV ("cervical cancer") vaccine for all girls entering 7th grade or older. This vaccine prevents infection from 2 types of HPV that cause 70% of cervical cancer, and from 2 types of HPV that cause 90% of genital warts. It is one of only 2 vaccines that prevent cancer (the other is Hepatitis B Vaccine!) Every year in the US, about 10,000 women get cervical cancer, and 3700 die from it.

The vaccine is a 3 shot series given over 6 months. It is now routinely recommended for girls entering 7th grade or older. It is preferable for girls to get HPV vaccine before their first sexual contact.

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