KNOW YOUR VAX

Learn about the recommended vaccines for adolescents and young adults.

Recommended Vaccines Schedule for Adolescents and Young Adults

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends vaccines for adolescents and young adults be administered at different times based on the immune system responses and the chance of developing certain diseases at certain ages. The Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule, endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, is based on the CDC schedule.

  • 11-12 Years – HPV (2 doses)*, Tdap, MenACWY dose 1**
  • 13-15 Years  – Catching up on missing vaccines.
  • 16 Years – MenACWY Booster, MenB, or MenABCWY***
  • 17-18 Years – Catch up on missing vaccines
  • Annually at every age:
    • seasonal flu vaccine
    • COVID-19 ****

* The HPV series can begin at age 9. HPV catch-up vaccination is recommended through 26 years of age. 

**The MenACWY vaccine is recommended for all pre-teens (ages 11-12). Since protection decreases over time, a booster shot is recommended at age 16.

***MenB vaccine is a two-dose vaccine recommended for ages 16-18. A MenABCWY vaccine is an option — preteens and teens who are getting MenACWY and MenB vaccines at the same visit can receive MenABCWY vaccine instead. Talk to your healthcare provider about which vaccine is most appropriate for you.

****One or more doses of the current COVID-19 vaccine depending on health status/prior vaccination history and based on a decision process between the healthcare provider and the patient or parent/guardian.

Talk to your healthcare provider to make the best decisions for you based on your health and immunization history.

What are these vaccines? What do they do?

Click to view dosing schedules and quick facts about each vaccine:

The HPV vaccine is recommended for everyone ages 9-26 to help prevent human papillomavirus (HPV), the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the U.S.4 This vaccine also helps prevent genital warts caused by HPV and is over 90% effective at preventing six HPV-related cancers including cervical, vaginal, vulvar, anal, penile, and oral or throat cancers.5 Since HPV is transmitted through sexual activity, it is recommended the vaccine is given prior to a person becoming sexually active. Without vaccination, almost every sexually active person will get HPV.4

Dosing info: 1st dose, ages 11-12 years old (can start as early as 9 years old). 2nd dose, 6-12 months after 1st dose. If you are 15 or older when receiving your first dose, three doses will be required.6

Quick Facts on This Vax:

  • HPV vaccination does not cause fertility problems.7
  • Only 64.6% of girls and 60.6% of boys aged 13–17 years have completed the required doses of HPV vaccines.8
  • Over 15 years of monitoring and research by the CDC and FDA support the safety and effectiveness of this vaccine.7
  • A 2024 study published in JAMA found a 62% reduction in cervical cancer mortality among U.S. women under 25 between 2013 and 2021, with the steepest decline occurring after 2015.18
  1. Vaccine schedule for children, 7 to 18 years old. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. February 10, 2023. Accessed June 23, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines-children/index.html
  2. Meningococcal vaccination: What everyone should know. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. June 26, 2024. Accessed June 23, 2025 https://www.cdc.gov/meningococcal/vaccines/
  3. CDC committee Oks recommendations for pentavalent meningococcal, mpox vaccines, AAP News, October 25, 2023, Accessed December 11, 2023. https://publications.aap.org/aapnews/news/27054/CDC-committee-OKs-recommendations-for-pentavalent
  4. Std Facts - Human papillomavirus (HPV). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Jan 31 2025. Accessed June 23, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/sti/about/about-genital-hpv-infection.html?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/stdfact-hpv.htm
  5. History of HPV Vaccination. Accessed November 21, 2023. https://sjr-redesign.stjude.org/content/dam/research-redesign/centers-initiatives/hpv-cancer-prevention-program/hpv-advocacy-campaign/history-hpv-vaccination.pdf.
  6. HPV vaccine. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. July 7 2024. Accessed June 23 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/hpv/parents/vaccine-for-hpv.html.
  7. HPV vaccine safety. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. March 6 2025 Accessed June 23 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/vaccines/hpv.html
  8. Vaccination Coverage Among Adolescents Aged 13–17 Years — National Immunization Survey–Teen, United States, 2022 | MMWR (cdc.gov). https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7234a3.htm Accessed December 11, 2023
  9. Meningococcal disease: Technical and clinical information. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. February 1 2024. Accessed June 23 2025 https://www.cdc.gov/meningococcal/hcp/clinical/index.html
  10. Vaccine information statement. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. February 28 2025 Accessed June 23 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/current-vis/tdap.html
  11. The long history of mRNA vaccines. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. October 6, 2021. Accessed November 21, 2023. https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2021/the-long-history-of-mrna-vaccines.
  12. Katella K. The updated COVID vaccines are here: 10 things to know. Yale Medicine. October 4, 2023. Accessed November 21, 2023. https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/updated-covid-vaccine-10-things-to-know.
  13. Lance R. How COVID-19 vaccines were made so quickly without cutting corners. Science News. June 29, 2021. Accessed November 21, 2023. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/covid-coronavirus-vaccine-development-speed.
  14. Covid-19 vaccine safety in children and teens. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. June 11 2025. Accessed June 23 2025 https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/vaccine-safety-children-teens.html.
  15. Flu season. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. October 28 2024. Accessed June 23 2025 https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/index.html.
  16. Key facts about seasonal flu vaccine. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. September 17 2024. Accessed June 23, 2025 https://www.cdc.gov/flu/vaccines/keyfacts.html 
  17. Getting a flu vaccine and other recommended vaccines at the same time. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. September 17 2, 2023. Accessed June 23, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/vaccines/coadministration.html
  18. Cervical Cancer Mortality Among US Women Younger Than 25 Years, 1992-2021. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2827212
Contribute

Subscribe to Our Mailing List