What’s it all about?

Teens need immunizations (vaccinations). They keep teens, their friends and their family healthy by:
> Increasing their bodies' ability to fight diseases.
> Preventing the spread of disease to other people who may not be able to fight off disease as easily as others

Don’t immunizations (vaccinations) cause the diseases they want to prevent?

Many vaccines are made from bacteria and viruses that are not alive. They cannot reproduce themselves and cannot
give a person the disease. Others are made from viruses that are severely weakened. Rarely, they may cause a very
mild form of the disease.

What are the usual affects?

Some people experience no symptoms or problems after an immunization. Others may have one or more of these for
a short time:
> Short-term pain
> Redness at the injection site
> Stiffness or soreness at the injection site
> Rarely, it might cause a low fever

Where can I look for more information?

www.StartwithFour.org

St. Louis Maternal Child & Family Health Coalition www.stl-mcfhc.org

Are there other immunizations (vaccinations) that a teen should get?

Maybe. If teens did not get ALL the recommended childhood vaccines, they should have their doctor or health care provider catch them up. Those include:
> Hepatitis A 2 doses
> Hepatitis B 3 doses
> Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) 2 doses
> Polio 3 doses
> Varicella (chickenpox) 2 doses
Also, for teens with chronic conditions or weakened immune systems:
> Pneumoccocal (PPV) 1 or 2 doses
Ask your doctor, school nurse or parent for more information!!

Should I have a personal immunization record?

Yes! An immunization record helps you and your health care provider know how to keep you safe from vaccinepreventable
diseases. Be sure to take it with you for your check-up so the doctor or provider can see which
immunizations you need.

Any time I get stuck by a needle, is that an immunization?

No, sometimes needles are used for medications or antibiotics. Sometimes needles are used to run tests like testing for lead poisoning or tuberculosis.

Immunization Action Coalition www.vaccineinformation.org/

Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services www.dhss.mo.gov/Immunizations/ -- 1-573-751-6124

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention www.cdc.gov/vaccines 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636) TTY: 1-888-232-6348