Adolescents and immunization: Tips for the primary care provider

Despite high immunization rates in this country, many adolescents do not receive all of the recommmended vaccines. Each year, more than 3.5 million adolescents in the U.S. enter adulthood lacking recommended immunizations. This article will review the current recommendations for immunization for adolescents, including those for the meningococcal vaccine. The vaccine schedule is continually changing, and it is important that health care providers be up to date and utilize available resources with current information. Primary care providers should review and update immunization records with their adolescent patients on a routine basis.