Pediatrician and adolescent medicine specialist Dr. Peter Sinton joins FACTSinnated to discuss rural healthcare, vaccines, and how young people and families can make informed health decisions.

Listen to the episode now.

Ready for Back to School?

Start the School Year with Vaccine Smart Energy

Prioritize Wellness This School Year and Beyond

One of the best ways to support teen health and wellness is to ensure they are up to date with recommended vaccines. Vaccines protect against dangerous illnesses like meningitis, whooping cough, HPV, and flu. Adolescents are a valuable public health tool for protecting students, classmates, families, and the broader community – especially those who are more vulnerable.

Did you fall behind on vaccinations?

Teens lead busy lives and missed vaccination appointments happen. Catch-up vaccination is essential to staying healthy and meeting school immunization requirements. Talking with your healthcare provider (e.g., doctor, nurse, or pharmacist) is a good way to determine what vaccines you need.

 Want to get involved?

Help spread the word this back-to-school season by sharing trusted vaccine information with your community. Find ready-to-use social media posts, graphics, and animations to share on your social channels below. Make sure to use the hashtag #VaccineSmart so we can see your posts!

Download Social Posts Now

Learn What Vaccines Are Recommended For Back To School

Why do teens and young adults need vaccines at specific ages? The reason is to maximize immune response and target diseases when young people are most vulnerable.

The graphic below illustrates the Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule—recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)—to help you keep your family on track.

Learn more about the recommended vaccines for adolescents on our Know Your Vax page.

Have Questions? Get Vaccine Smart with a Trusted Professional

Knowing how to protect your health is part of being informed, prepared, and ready to take on what comes next. Being smart today is about more than doing well in school; teens are expected to be street smart, friend smart, game smart – and vaccine smart. 

School nurses, doctors, and pharmacists help adolescents, young adults and families stay vaccine smart. They are trusted experts who can answer questions, review records, and provide guidance with care and understanding. 

These healthcare providers can help: 

  • Review vaccine records and provide reminders
  • Explain recommended vaccines and answer questions
  • Separate facts from fiction with trusted, science-based information 
  • Create a catchup schedule if vaccines are missed
  • Connect local families with clinics and vaccine providers
  • Administer vaccines and help teens stay up-to-date (varies by state and school district)

For parents, helping your adolescents and teenagers become vaccine smart is another way to prepare them for adulthood; it’s about giving them the knowledge, tools, and confidence to make informed decisions, stay protected, and show up ready for the opportunities ahead. When teenagers understand their health and the world around them, they build the kind of well-rounded confidence that helps them thrive.

5 Ways to Find Accurate Health Information¹⁻²

Inaccurate vaccine information can spread quickly, especially online. False claims can confuse families and increase hesitancy. Learning to spot inaccurate vaccine information and find trusted sources is key to staying informed.

  1. Check the source
    • Is it a medical or government website? Trustworthy information can be found on websites run by professional or non-profit organizations, medical schools, peer-reviewed journals and government offices. Some of the sources we recommend are linked at the bottom of this page.
  2. Watch for red flags
    • Beware of sites using dramatic language or promoting one treatment as better than others. Good health information is balanced and doesn’t try to scare you. 
  3. Confirm the publication date
    • Reliable health information should be current and regularly updated. Reputable sources will include the date their site was written or updated near the bottom of the page. 
  4. Find the author
    • Trustworthy resources will be written by health professionals and reviewed by experts in the field. 
  5. Talk to an expert
    • If you’re unsure if the information is accurate, ask your doctor, school nurse, or another trusted health professional.

Your Vaccine Smart FAQ

Back to school landing page checklist updates (2)

Malek A

Illinos

“My health is so incredibly important to me, especially during the school year, because it impacts my attendance, understanding of directions, and my school experience. Without the assurance of vaccines, I’d most likely be home constantly and missing my friends as well.”

Nolan B

Ohio

“There are a lot of ways to be smart today — school smart, street smart, and health smart. Staying up to date on my vaccines is one way I take control of my health and look out for the people around me.”

Trusted Vaccine Resources

Explore these science-backed, teen-friendly sources for reliable and up-to-date information on recommended vaccines.

Looking for more vaccine insights? Explore our resources and subscribe to our newsletter below to stay up to date with the latest insights on adolescent vaccination!

  1. How to find reliable health information online. National Institute on Aging. January 12, 2023. Accessed June 19, 2025. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/healthy-aging/how-find-reliable-health-information-online.
  2. Evaluating health information. MedlinePlus. February 26, 2024. Accessed June 19, 2025. https://medlineplus.gov/evaluatinghealthinformation.html
  3. Community toolkit for addressing health misinformation. Office of Evaluation Sciences. 2021. Accessed June 19, 2025. https://oes.gsa.gov/collaborations/misinformation-toolkit
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