With kids going back to school or college, vaccinations might be on some parents’ minds.
Remembering to check your child’s immunization records is important when scheduling wellness checkups as the school year begins. Health professionals suggest some vaccinations to keep in mind.
Vaccines Needed For College
Dr. Ellen Rome, a pediatrician at Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital, says there are several vaccinations parents should consider for their college-bound kids.
While the meningitis shot is given to youngsters, Rome recommends teens “get a booster dose before they head off to college because that will raise the immunity from about 85 percent to 98-99 percent.”
She adds meningitis is very contagious and can spread quickly in close quarters, like a college dorm.
She also suggests the tetanus booster, which is known as “Tdap.” This one covers tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis, or whooping cough.
Rome says all college-aged kids should get the HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine, if they haven’t already.
“If they have not received the series of three (HPV vaccines) by age 11 or 12 — that’s girls and guys — then they ought to do the catch-up shots and get the three, starting with their pre-college physical,” she says. “They can get the second one two months later, either at college or when they come home. And the third one four months after that.”
HPV Recommendations
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics, AAP, recommends both boys and girls be vaccinated for HPV.
HPV is one of the most common sexually transmitted viruses in the U.S. and causes a large number of cancers of the mouth and throat, the cervix and genitals.
“The biggest reason for wanting to eradicate HPV is because it’s the number one cause of cervical cancer in women. In addition, it causes thousands of cases of cancer in men,” says Dr. Deb Lonzer, pediatrician at Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital. “And the scariest part of it is (that it’s) now the number one cause of head and neck cancer and that means it surpassed cigarettes. It’s actually more dangerous than cigarettes for causing head and neck cancers.”
The AAP recommends routine HPV vaccination of boys and girls ages 11-12. The vaccine is most effective if administered before the onset of sexual activity, and antibody responses to the vaccine are highest at ages 9-15. AAP researchers say immunizing children against HPV infection will help prevent cancers and genital warts caused by HPV.
Lonzer agrees, and says the vaccine is considered safe.
“It was tested in 60,000 people,” she says. “There is about one adverse effect in about 15,000 doses, and that’s usually a little soreness in your arm or maybe a little nausea or dizziness. No major side effects at all have been shown to be caused by this vaccine.”
Don’t Forget the Flu
The AAP also urges parents to have their children 6 months and older immunized against the flu as soon as the vaccine is available.
“The season can last anywhere from October to March, but because of international travel and just because of the influenza virus itself, (the flu) can strike at any time in the year, so we really want to make sure that once the vaccine is available, we get kids in right away,” says Dr. Emma Raizman, a pediatrician at Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital.
There are two vaccines available: the trivalent vaccine, which protects against three strains of the virus, or the new quadrivalent vaccine that protects against four strains.
Despite the added protection, the AAP does not give preference for one type of flu vaccine over another. “(However, the AAP) is recommending NOT to wait for one or the other,” Raizman says.
The latest research shows people who have an egg allergy can receive the inactivated flu vaccine, but the AAP recommends pediatricians talk to an allergist before vaccinating any child with a history of a severe reaction.
Article courtesy of Cleveland Clinic News Service. For more consumer health news, visit health.clevelandclinic.org.
