“Vaccines are one of the most successful tools we have available today to prevent disease and death, reducing the level of most vaccine-preventable diseases by more than 99 percent,” says Dr. Jane Siegel, an infectious disease specialist on the medical staff at Children’s Medical Center Dallas.

Vaccinations protect the community as well as the person who gets the shot. As more of us are immunized, chances drop that an outbreak of disease will spread among people who haven’t been immunized. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends these vaccines for adolescents (ages 11 to 12):

• Varicella (chicken pox): Any teen who hasn’t had the chickenpox should get this vaccine. Some cases of chickenpox can be so minor that you may not realize your child ever had it. While a blood test can show whether your teen has had the infection, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests skipping the test and getting the vaccination if you’re unsure.
• Hepatitis B: Everyone who did not have the vaccine as an infant should get it, especially children ages 11 to 18. The hepatitis B virus often enters the body through blood and body fluids from infected individuals and remains undetected due to its lack of immediate symptoms. However, the long-term results can sometimes be severe — inflammation of the liver (cirrhosis), liver cancer and even death.
• Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR): Combined and administered as one shot, the MMR vaccine should be given to any teen who has not received two doses already. Children who did not get the second dose at the now-recommended 4 to 6 years of age should receive it by 11 to 12 years of age. If the child is older, however, it’s still important to get that second dose, which boosts teens’ immunity.
• Diphtheria-tetanus: Since most children complete their initial series of these vaccines (given as a combination vaccine called DTaP) by 4 to 6 years of age, the next booster dose occurs in adolescence. The AAP recommends that teen-agers receive a preparation of the tetanus and diphtheria vaccines known as Td every 10 years, starting at age 11 or 12.
• Meningococcus: College students living in campus dormitories are encouraged to receive a single dose of the meningococcus vaccine as incoming freshmen. For more information, contact the CDC’s National Immunization Program at 800-232-2522 or visit their Web site at www.cdc.gov/nip.
• Hepatitis A: The vaccine is recommended for routine use in many Texas counties, including Dallas County, for children 2 years of age or older. As they age, teens start traveling to areas of the United States or to other countries where exposure to hepatitis A may be unavoidable. Therefore, those who previously have not received the hepatitis A vaccine should consider it during adolescence. For more information on the hepatitis A vaccine, visit the Texas Department of Health Web site at www.tdh.state.tx.us.