This back-to-school season let’s ensure all children and young adults get caught up on recommended immunizations.
This is an especially critical time for preteens and teens, who need four types of vaccines to help protect against serious diseases: meningococcal vaccine to protect against meningitis and bloodstream infections; HPV vaccine to protect against the six different cancers caused by HPV; Tdap vaccine to protect against tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough; and a yearly flu vaccine to protect against seasonal flu. For a multitude of reasons, many children did not receive their routine checkups or vaccines during the Covid-19 pandemic. Let’s do all we can to make sure we keep kids healthy, in school, and ready to learn!
HPV Vaccine for Preteens
Is your child between the ages of 9-12? Now is the best time for them to receive the HPV vaccine. We want to do everything we can to keep our children healthy for life. With the HPV vaccine, parents have to ability to protect their children from six cancers caused by HPV, a common virus that will affect 8 in 10 people in their lifetime.
There are multiple benefits of starting the HPV vaccine in the preteen years, including:
- Offering more time for completion of the series by the age of 13
- Resulting in a strong immune response to the HPV vaccine
- Increasing likelihood of vaccinating prior to first HPV exposure
- Decreasing the number of shots needed to complete the series (two instead of three)
Routine recommendation of the HPV vaccine at age 9 is endorsed by many reputable health organizations, including American Cancer Society and American Academy of Pediatrics. Talk to your child’s health care provider about getting the HPV vaccine.
Catch-Up Vaccination: It's Not Too Late to Vaccinate!
Teens and young adults, it’s not too late to receive your HPV vaccine series! The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the HPV vaccine for people of all genders ages 9-26. When vaccination begins between ages 15-26, it is given in a three-dose series rather than two. Vaccination between the ages of 27-45 is approved by the FDA but is best decided upon between the patient and health care provider.
If you are 18 years or older, you can receive the HPV vaccine at your local pharmacy without a prescription. You can search for local pharmacies that carry the HPV vaccine by using the Gardasil®9 Vaccine Locator (scroll down to “Find a Pharmacy”).
Access to Vaccines
For those who are having difficulty getting an appointment to see their regular health care provider or for those who do not have one at all, there are alternative options for access to vaccines. Most counites’ Department of Public Health offer regular immunization clinics; check with your local Department for more information on resources in your area. Additionally, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) provide HPV vaccination and others at no or low cost for patients. Use the link above to locate and contact an FQHC near you. If you are a college or university student, check with your campus’ student health center to see if they offer the HPV vaccine.
If you or your child does not have health insurance, you can get your vaccines free of charge! Children 18 and younger can obtain free vaccinations through the Vaccines for Children. Adults 19 and older can obtain free vaccination through the Merck Vaccine Patient Assistance Program.
