Monthly Health Articles Archive

New vaccines available for adolescents and others

By Carol Gress, Community Health Nurse

If you have middle school through college-aged children, take a moment to become familiar with some of the new vaccines that are available for their protection.

One of these new vaccines is called Tdap. It protects against tetanus and diphtheria as well as pertussis (a.k.a. whooping cough). In the past few years adolescents have experienced much higher rates of pertussis. Adolescent and older children generally show only mild symptoms of this disease, which make it difficult to recognize. The danger lies in the fact that they become a carrier of pertussis to un-immunized and partially immunized infants and young children. This younger age group is more susceptible to severe illness and complications, such as pneumonia, encephalitis, and pertussis-related seizures.

Community Health has the Tdap vaccine for adolescents that are 11 to 12 years old that qualify for the Vaccine for Children (VFC) program. The vaccine is also available at the KRHC clinic for all ages. All people aged 10 to 64 should receive one dose of Tdap and then continue to get the old formula of Adult Td every 10 years (or more often as indicated with a dirty wound).

A second vaccine, Menactra, is recommended for 11 year-old-children through college-aged students. Menactra is a new vaccine that gives protection against meningitis. Meningitis is an illness in which there is inflammation of the tissues that cover the brain and spinal cord. Community Health has this vaccine for a limited population, including adolescents that qualify for VFC and are 11-12 years old. It is also available for students 17 to 18-year old students that will be living in a campus dormitory this coming fall. For all others who need this vaccination, the KRHC clinic has it available.

How does the Vaccine for Children program work? VFC is a federally funded program for children 18 years and younger. You qualify for VFC if you:

• Have Title 19/Medicaid
• Have no health insurance
• Are of American Indian or Alaskan Native heritage
• Have health insurance that does not pay for immunizations

The best way to determine whether or not your insurance covers immunizations is to call the 800 number on the back of your insurance card. Ask the representative that if you went to the doctor and got immunizations, what amount would be covered by your insurance. If you don’t qualify for VFC, you must go to your medical provider to receive your immunizations. This includes both people that have health insurance that pays for immunizations or those who are on Hawk-I.

It is a high priority for 11 and 12-year old children to receive these immunizations. This protection will add to their safety and well being during adolescence and college years. Bring in your adolescent children today and encourage your college students to be immunized as soon as possible. For more information, please contact your medical provider or Community Health at 515.295.4430 or 800.603.8433.