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Immunization

The Immunization Division's goal is to increase immunization rates and reduce vaccine-preventable diseases.

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Does Your Back-to-School Checklist Include Vaccination?

From newborns to college, you can help protect your children from 16 serious diseases by getting them vaccinated. Make sure your kids get any needed vaccines before the back-to-school rush! Schedule an appointment with your pediatrician or county health department now.

As a parent, making sure your children are vaccinated on time is an important step toward ensuring their long-term health. Vaccination also helps protect the health of classmates, friends, relatives, and others in the community.

The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH), Immunization Division (IMM); Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP); and the American College Health Association (ACHA) recommend that it is better and safer, in most cases, to vaccinate or revaccinate instead of titer testing. See ACHA Guidelines - Recommendations for Immunizations for more information.

In addition, ADPH and CDC encourage all colleges to consider utilizing Alabama’s immunization registry, Immunization Patient Resources with Integrated Technology (ImmPRINT), to access all vaccine histories for all students.

See our ImmPRINT Vaccine Coverage Rate Report flyer for information about comparing your practice's immunization coverage rate to that of the state and all providers in your county.

To contact your local Immunization Compliance Manager (ICM), please view our ICM map to obtain the contact information.

Guidelines for Specific Vaccines for Preteens and Teensteenvaccines.jpg

Guidelines for specific vaccines for preteens and teens have been established by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and other medical organizations.

  • Tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis (Tdap) or tetanus-diphtheria (Td) booster: The Tdap vaccine should be given to children aged 11 to 12 years. It can be given at 13-18 years if not received at an earlier age. Tdap can be given regardless of the time since receiving a previous Td-containing vaccine. The Td booster is used in persons who should not get the pertussis vaccine.

  • Meningococcal: The meningococcal conjugate vaccine is recommended for all preteens and teens at 11 to 12 years old, with a booster dose at 16 years old. Teens may also be vaccinated with a serogroup B meningococcal vaccine (2 or 3 doses depending on the brand), preferably at 16 through 18 years old. Any older teen who has never been vaccinated should get vaccinated as soon as possible.

  • Human papillomavirus (HPV): The HPV vaccine is recommended for children aged 11-12 years so that they are protected before exposure to the virus. The HPV vaccine is given as a 2-dose series before age 15. Both girls and boys should receive 2 doses of the vaccine to prevent HPV-related diseases. Teens 13 years and older who either did not get any or did not receive all of the HPV vaccines when they were younger should complete the vaccine series. Adolescents older than 15 at the start of the vaccination series and young adults need 3 HPV shots for full protection.

  • Influenza: All teenagers (and everyone else 6 months of age and older) should be vaccinated every year with the influenza vaccine as soon as it becomes available in the community.

Vaccine-Preventable Disease Information

Please select which disease below you would like to view:

Report Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (VPDs)

Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS)

The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) is a national vaccine safety surveillance program co-sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

VAERS provides a nationwide mechanism by which adverse events following immunization may be reported analyzed, and made available to the public. VAERS also provides a vehicle for disseminating vaccine-safety-related information to parents and guardians, health care providers, vaccine manufacturers, state vaccine programs, and other constituencies.

You are obligated to report all vaccine adverse events online. Please select this link to go directly to VAERS.

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Page last updated: February 8, 2024