Vaccines at 11 to 12 Years

Vaccinations are safe and effective for children to receive at the recommended ages.

CDC recommends COVID-19 vaccination for everyone aged 6 months and older. If your child has not gotten vaccinated yet, talk to his or her doctor about getting it as soon as possible.

Vaccines your child should get

Although your 11 or 12-year-old is getting closer to their teen years, they are still dependent on you. Help them stay healthy by keeping them up to date with the recommended vaccines.

Your preteen should receive routinely recommended vaccines to protect them from the following diseases:

2 doses

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common virus that can cause several cancers in men and women. HPV vaccination is recommended at ages 11-12 years to help protect against cancers caused by HPV infection. For best protection, most children this age will need two shots of the HPV vaccine, 6-12 months apart.

See Related: HPV vaccination

Yearly

Flu is a respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. Flu spreads easily and can cause serious illness, especially in children younger than 5 years and children of any age with certain chronic conditions including asthma. Everyone 6 months of age and older should get a flu vaccine every year ideally by the end of October.

See Related: Flu vaccination

1st dose of 2

Meningococcal disease can refer to any illness caused by a type of bacteria called Neisseria meningitidis. Meningococcal disease can be serious, even deadly. The meningococcal vaccine called MenACWY protects against four types of the bacteria that cause meningococcal disease (serogroups A, C, W, and Y).

See Related: Meningococcal vaccination

1 dose

A Tdap booster shot protects older children from three serious diseases—diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough (pertussis). While people of any age in the United States can get all three of these potentially deadly diseases, whooping cough is most common. Preteens and teens who get whooping cough may cough for 10 weeks or more, possibly leading to rib fractures from severe coughing.

See Related: Tdap vaccination

Benefits of vaccinating your child now

Protect against dangerous diseases, including infections where the risk of exposure increases as adolescents get older.

Boost protection from several diseases, as protection from early childhood vaccines wears off.

When to vaccinate your child

You can take advantage of any visit to your child’s doctor to get recommended vaccines for your child, including sports physicals or annual checkups before the school year. Ask the doctor or nurse every year if there are any vaccines that your child may need.

If your child has serious allergies, including allergies to yeast, latex, or chicken eggs, tell the doctor or nurse before your child gets any shots.

After vaccination

Sometimes children have mild reactions from vaccines, called side effects. After vaccination, your preteen might experience:

Redness and soreness: Use a cool, damp cloth to help reduce redness, soreness and/or swelling at the injection site.
Fainting after getting a shot: Although rare, fainting after any vaccine is more common among adolescents. Sitting or lying down when getting a shot and then for about 15 minutes after the shot can help prevent fainting.

Serious side effects are rare. To learn more about possible side effects, read the Vaccine Information Sheet(s).

Call 911 if you think your child might be having a severe allergic reaction after leaving the vaccination site.

What vaccines does my child need?

Follow the vaccine schedule

See which vaccines your child needs to stay on-track with routine vaccinations.

Birth to 6 years

7 to 18 years

Get a personalized list

Take a short quiz to get a list of vaccines your child may need based on their age, health conditions, and other factors.

Child vaccine quiz

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