Childhood immunizations often present parents with an illusion that they’re protected from diseases later in life once their child’s vaccinated. However, childhood vaccines need constant revisiting to protect against diseases that mutate and adapt to various environmental changes. Preteens and teenagers should continue to get vaccinations for many essential reasons, but both parents and teenagers are often unaware of the advantages vaccines bring. We’re here to help examine the information teenagers need to best understand vaccines, preventable diseases, and attitudes towards immunization.
Teenagers and Understanding Vaccines
The CDC recommends various vaccinations for children between the ages of 13 to 18. It allocates specific times for these vaccines to be administered because it factors in the child’s growth, immune system development, and the disease’s nature. Out of the various vaccines a child requires to maintain good health, the vaccines highly recommended include:
- Influenza (Flu)
- Meningococcal Conjugate
- Meningococcal B
All other varieties of vaccinations can often be caught up to help protect their health from diseases such as HPV, polio, measles, and whooping cough. The majority of these vaccines are often dispersed throughout their toddler years, which helps protect their immune system from highly preventable diseases and makes them less memorable by comparison. When it comes to how teenagers understand vaccines, some studies suggest that vaccinations and immunizations need to be better communicated. The study, conducted by Vaccine journal, examined the understanding of teenagers’ preventable diseases and vaccinations through twelve focus groups throughout the UK. Within this study, researchers found that those teenagers exhibited limited knowledge of the diseases that vaccines can prevent. Their knowledge of these diseases depends on the prevalence of the disease and its long-term harm.
Why Teenagers Should Get Vaccinated
Diseases such as meningitis, chickenpox, and rubella can have a severe impact on your child’s health if they are not vaccinated. For teenagers, the risk of infection matters just as much as for newborns. However, due to the lack of awareness of the impact of these preventable diseases, many teenagers often go without getting vaccinations. One of the best ways to protect your children is to get all their vaccinations because getting vaccinated can help them by:
- Being Safe and Effective: Vaccines are always under constant review by scientists and medical professionals and are made to prevent the spread of those diseases.
- Helping Protect Others: Those who are often immune-compromised are often at higher risk of getting infected than those who receive vaccines.
- Save Money and Time: For many families, receiving vaccines can help prevent thousands of dollars in medical costs.
- Reduce Risk of Spread: The disease spreads will slow down over time as more and more people receive vaccines.
- Saves Your Child’s Life: Ultimately, those who receive vaccinations will be able to have a higher chance of immunity to the disease than those who do not.
To protect your child from these diseases, make sure they stay updated on the latest in vaccinations by following the CDC guidelines and speaking with your primary physician.
