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Preteen Vaccines
Do you have an 11- or 12-year-old? Now is the perfect time to protect your child from serious diseases – diseases that can spread quickly through schools – with vaccinations for meningitis, tetanus, cervical cancer and whooping cough.
Schedule a preteen checkup
Visit your preteen’s doctor and talk to him or her about your child’s vaccinations and if they are up to date. Vaccinations recommended for 11 and 12 year olds help strengthen shots your preteen received as a baby, and others are new. They include:
- MCV4 protects against meningitis
- Tdap protects against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (whooping cough)
- For girls, HPV or human papillomavirus vaccine helps protect against the most common types of cervical cancer
It’s also a good time to make sure your child is caught up on important childhood immunizations such as chickenpox, hepatitis B and measles-mumps-rubella (MMR).
Help your preteen relax during shots
Encourage them to:
- Bring along their favorite music.
- Remember to breathe – take slow, deep breaths.
- Make eye contact with a supportive person.
- Close their eyes and think of a favorite place or activity.
- Focus on something in the room, such as a poster.
- Talk about a fun upcoming activity.
Shots recommended for your preteen
| Recommended Shots | Doses and Timing |
|---|---|
| Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis (Tdap) | 1 dose of teen series – between 11-12 years |
| Human Papillomarvis (HPV) (females) | 3 doses – between 11-12 years |
| Meningococcal | 1 dose – between 11-12 years |
| Make sure your preteen is caught up on these shots: | |
| Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis (DTaP) | Final dose of child series – between 4-6 years |
| Polio (IPV) | Final dose – between 4-6 years |
| Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) | Final dose – between 4-6 years |
| Varicella (Chicken Pox) | Final dose – between 4-6 years |
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