- MONDAY, Oct. 6 (HealthDay News) — Although most people think of
young children when they hear about childhood vaccinations, adolescents
need certain booster shots as well as new immunizations.

However, a recent study has found that not all teens are getting these
necessary vaccinations.

The study, published in the October issue of Pediatrics, found
that nearly one-third of teens weren't up-to-date on their
measles-mumps-rubella vaccination, another quarter were missing out on
their hepatitis B protection, and 16 percent weren't fully immunized
against tetanus and diphtheria.

“We found that adolescent immunization rates were low for adolescents
13 years old, and that missed opportunities to vaccinate were pretty
common,” said study author Dr. Grace Lee, an assistant professor in the
departments of pediatrics, and ambulatory care and prevention at Harvard
Medical School, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Children's Hospital of
Boston.

Lee and her colleagues assessed immunization rates for almost 24,000
13-year-olds enrolled in two health plans. All of the children were born
between 1986 and 1991.

They found that 84 percent of the teens were up-to-date on the
tetanus-diphtheria vaccination, 74 percent had received hepatitis B
vaccination and 67 percent were current on their measles-mumps-rubella
immunization.

Lee said the study was conducted before three new vaccines became
available for teens, and these new vaccines are: meningococcal, human
papillomavirus (HPV), and pertussis.

Teens who had regular preventive care were more likely to be up-to-date
on their vaccinations, but Lee said that doctors also missed opportunities
to get adolescents current on their immunizations during acute care visits
as well.

“I think doctors are more attuned to vaccinations at adolescent
preventive visits, but adolescents don't seek preventive care yearly.
They tend to go when they're sick. We could target adolescents for
vaccination during acute care visits — get them while you have them,”
said Lee.

“Babies and young children are much more likely to be fully immunized.
That's why I really try to encourage parents to take adolescents for
annual health-care visits,” said Dr. Susan Coupey, chief of adolescent
medicine at Children's Hospital of Montefiore and Albert Einstein College
of Medicine, in New York City.

Coupey said it's especially important to bring kids in when they're 12
or 13 to make sure they're up-to-date on their immunizations and to ensure
that their development is on track.

A second study, also in the October issue of Pediatrics, looked
at the reasons that parents might delay or forgo immunizations for their
children. The government researchers found that parents often delayed a
vaccination due to illness. Another big reason parents felt unsure about
vaccines, or delayed or refused a vaccine, was due to concerns about
safety or side effects. The study found that many parents changed their
minds after discussing their concerns with their doctors, however.

More information

Take the adolescent vaccination quiz from the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention to learn more about the necessary
vaccinations.