All About Adolescent Vaccinations: What Does AP Look like with the Big Kids?

Practicing attachment parenting generally leads to a great deal of research. In addition to simply wanting to be well educated about my parenting choices, I've found myself researching parenting topics regularly for many reasons. Family and friends tend to come to me for advice and information because they know I'll find the most accurate available. This led me to further research in college, focusing most of my electives in psychology and education. You'd be surprised how much a thorough knowledge of such topics helps in political advocacy, as well.

The Center for Disease Control in the United States recommends children receive the following vaccinations between the ages of seven and eighteen, if they didn't at an earlier age. While medical professionals are known for downplaying the risks, there can be serious side effects to childhood vaccinations. Many parents are either unaware of these risks or feel they are worth the benefit, but many feel some or all vaccinations are not worth the risk. Responsible parents research the vaccinations offer their children and decide what is best for their unique situations. Even if a parent decides to vaccinate their child, they may decide to wait until the child is older than the recommended age and minimalize the potential side effects.

If you haven't thought much about vaccinations, assuming that they must be safe and needed like most people do, it's not too late. There are still many vaccinations yet to come, and you can start doing your research now and be well informed and prepared to make educated decisions from here on out. Below I have compiled a collection of well researched articles about these viruses, and a brief summary. I've collected articles that use mainstream sources of information, such as the US Government and vaccine manufacturers. There should be no doubt as to the validity of these sources.

Diphtheria and Tetanus toxoids and acellular Pertussis vaccine (TDaP)

This is a booster to be given only if the child has completed the early childhood DTaP vaccination. The CDC recommends this vaccine at 11-12 years. As this vaccinates against multiple illnesses, it's a little more complicated. You can read a little about these infections it helps prevent in Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis (DTaP) Vaccines Can Have Rare, but Serious, Side Effects on Children and you can find out more about the actual vaccines in The DTaP Vaccine: What the Manufacturer's Insert Tells Us. This vaccination can be a hard decision to make. While it helps protect your child against some very dangerous illnesses, it isn't a guaranteed prevention and can have just as dangerous side effects.

Human Papillomavirus vaccine (HPV)

The CDC recommends this vaccine at 11-12 years. If you want an unbiased look at the virus, read HPV 101: Simple Answers to Basic Questions and for a brief overview of all the issues surrounding this controversial vaccine, try Gardasil, the Cancer Vaccine: What the Manufacturer's Package Insert Tells Us. This vaccine offers little protection that a regular visit to the doctor won't, but offers significantly more danger according to the very few studies anyone bothered to organize. Though, if you live in an impoverished nation or your daughter will not be receiving regular physicals for some reason, it just may be worth the risk.

Meningococcal (MPSV4 or MCV4)

The CDC recommends this vaccine at 11-12 years. The CDC has also acknowledged that the very serious GBS is a possible side effect and warns "Persons with a history of GBS who are not in a high risk group for invasive meningococcal disease should not receive MCV4." I highly recommend any parent who's doctor recommends this vaccine request the manufacturer insert that is given out with the vaccine and insist they be allowed to take it home at least over night to make a decision. If it seems like an urgent situation, they can bring the child in the very next day to receive or turn down the vaccine as the parents see fit.

Pneumococcal vaccine (PCV or PPV)

The CDC recommends this vaccine as early as 6 weeks of age and boosters are sometimes recommended several times throughout a child's life. For certain high risk groups, the CDC recommends a booster between 7 and 18 years. The studies on this vaccine are sketchy at best. The most reliable ones indicate the vaccine is more likely to cause the several issues it is designed to prevent, as well as many others. "Pneumococcal Vaccine and Otitis Media" is a well researched explanation from a highly respected source, but Prevnar, the Pneumococcal Vaccine: What the Manufacturer's Insert Tells Us is much easier to understand and explains most of the same things.

Influenza vaccine (TIV or LAIV)

The CDC recommends this vaccine as early as 6 months and boosters are recommended every 1-5 years for life. Everything we know about this vaccine is anecdotal. No manufacturers or government agencies have completed and significant research on it. As such, there isn't anything reputable I can link you to. Without having studied it, the CDC insists that you cannot catch the flu from this vaccine, though contracting it right after receiving the vaccine is so common place that even mainstream vaccination-loving Americans avoid it. At it's best, this vaccination may prevent or lessen the effects of an annoying illness. We have no idea what it may do at it's worst, since wide use is a new phenomenon and there are no completed studies of it's effects and safety issues. This is a very big "why bother?" vaccination.

Hepatitis A vaccine (HepA)

The CDC recommends this vaccine at 12 months with a booster 6 months later. In areas where vaccination programs target older children, the CDC recommends this vaccine between the ages of 7 and 18. Again, the manufacturer and CDC have failed to do proper testing or provide statistical information about this vaccine. As such, there is very little information available anywhere. What is Hepatitis A? is a good summary of the dangers of hepatitis A, though. After finding out how mild and treatable this illness is, the vaccine can easily be lumped in with so many other "risk of convenience" vaccines that children are given. I'd rather deal with a case of hepatitis A than risk the kind of side effects that seem to be standard in any vaccine.

If your doctor recommends an immunization not found on this list for a child aged 7 or over, it is likely they missed a routinely administered vaccine somewhere along the way. You can read my article about early childhood vaccines for information. If a vaccine cannot be found in either article, it is not on the CDC's Recommended Immunization Schedule. You should ask your doctor for why she feels it necessary, then thoroughly research the vaccine and the illness it is supposed to prevent before deciding weather your child will truly benefit.

I'll be honest with you. My children received all of their early childhood vaccinations. I had intended to write an article explaining why some parents choose not to vaccinate and what special circumstances drive them not to. After researching the manufacturer information, FDA Approvals, and US Center for Disease Control (the ones that tell us what to give our kids and when) information, I cannot see why most parents vaccinate. It can only be that they are as ignorant as I was. There is simply no other excuse for injecting these dangerous concoctions into our children.

While I do believe they should be available for the special circumstances where they may provide more protection than they do danger, I am incensed that they have become standardized. I wish I had known better than to trust popular opinion. Hopefully this will help you to more fully understand the risks of vaccinating and only gamble your child's wellbeing when not doing so is actually a gamble as well.