Did you remember to put booster shots on your back-to-school checklist for the teens and preteens in your household?

A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advisory committee recommended that the meningitis vaccine, which is typically given to young adults headed off to college, now be given to children starting at age 11 or 12. Bacterial meningitis is more dangerous for teenagers and spreads easily in crowded situations, such as college dorms. Experts reported to the advisory panel that the vaccination appears to only be effective for about five years, as opposed to 10 years as originally thought. Therefore, children may have to get booster shots around age 16. While bacterial meningitis, which causes inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord, is a serious and potentially debilitating disease, rates of the disease are at a historic low.

When it comes to other vaccinations, the CDC strongly recommends that adolescents between the age of 11-19 years receive the tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine, and the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine (three doses are needed). So far, this recommendation is for girls only; however, boys can receive the vaccination to protect against genital warts.

It is particularly important that preteens between ages 11-12 get the Tdap vaccination for protection against whooping cough. Unfortunately, according to a CDC survey, less than 11% of the 13- to 17-year-olds in the U.S. got this important booster.

Whooping cough (aka pertussis) starts out deceptively with the same symptoms as the common cold — mild fever, runny nose, sneezing. However, it brings on coughing fits so severe it can make eating or even breathing difficult. Don't look for the tell-tale whooping sound as this is uncommon in older children. Thousands of cases of whooping cough are reported each year and 25% are adolescents. Infection is spread through coughing and sneezing. Infected infants who have haven't been immunized usually get whooping cough from teens and adults.

If your teenager has never received the following vaccinations, then now is the time for their Hepatitis B series, polio series, measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) series, and Varicella (also known as chicken pox) series. It's important to remember that vaccines strengthen the immune system. They do not overload or weaken it. All of the mentioned vaccinations are recommended in addition to the family's yearly flu shots, which are still highly recommended in the fall or winter. As always, talk to your health care provider about the vaccination schedule that's best for your family.

Get a checklist (in English and Spanish) on the recommended booster shots for teens, preteens, and college students from the National Association of Nurses. For more detailed information and charts, visit the CDC's website.