Adolescent immunization: 2015 and beyond

Abstract

In the last decade, the approach to adolescent immunizations has changed substantially. At ages 11 or 12 years, routine administration of four vaccines-a tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (Tdap) booster, the first of two doses of quadrivalent conjugate meningococcal vaccine (MCV4), a three-dose series of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, and an annual influenza vaccine-are now recommended. Vaccine uptake is easily tracked in the office setting using electronic medical records, whereas national data for teens have been tracked through the National Immunization Survey-Teen (NIS-teen) since 2005. In 2013, NIS-teen demonstrated that Tdap and MCV4 uptake are robust, whereas HPV vaccine coverage lags behind substantially. Efforts to improve immunization coverage rates among adolescents should continue, especially as new vaccines are becoming available for use in this age group. Several changes in the current approach to teen vaccination are expected to emerge in 2015.