Teens and vaccines: Highlights from the most recent data
An annual survey of vaccine coverage among teens was published in August 2025. It indicated that vaccination coverage increased since the previous survey, and it demonstrated that most families in the U.S. are getting their children vaccinated. At least 9 of every 10 teens between 13 and 17 years of age received Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis), meningococcus ACWY, MMR, hepatitis B, and varicella (chickenpox) vaccines. Likewise, more than 8 of every 10 received hepatitis A vaccine, and almost that many got at least one dose of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine (78%).
Despite this good news, two points are important for families to be aware of:
- Only about 3 of every 10 teens got the second vaccine that protects against meningococcal infections, called meningococcus B. Many families do not realize there is a second vaccine to protect against one of the types of meningococcal infection because this vaccine has a different type of recommendation, called “shared clinical decision-making” (SCDM). SCDM recommendations were historically assigned to vaccines that might be of individual benefit, but for which the costs associated with immunizing the entire population were high. In the case of meningococcal B vaccine, this was because the numbers of cases and deaths caused by this bacterium each year are low. However, any child can get this infection, and as with the other types of meningococcal bacteria (A, C, W and Y), this disease can cause permanent disabilities and death — sometimes within hours of symptoms. For this reason, families should speak with their healthcare providers to see if their child could benefit from this vaccine.
- Several teen vaccines are currently recommended for more than one dose, including meningococcus ACWY, HPV, and for some, meningococcus B. The survey findings suggest that fewer students are getting those additional doses. While students who get one dose of a vaccine may have some immunity, if multiple doses are recommended, it is typically because the immune response after a single dose is not sufficient for protection. Therefore, it is important to check if your child has received the total number of recommended doses of each vaccine.
Decoding the language around science
One concerning trend is that some people use terminology to sound like they are sharing scientific information when in reality they either do not understand science or they are sharing information that is not based on the body of scientific evidence. Sadly, in some cases, they are intentionally misleading their audience for their own benefit, such as to make money, gain popularity (e.g., followers), or achieve political goals.
Two recently published resources came to our attention that can help provide some context and tips for spotting these situations:
- “Trust the Science” Doesn’t Mean What You Think It Does, a Substack article by Dr. Jessica Knurick that describes how science is done, what it has taught us, what anti-science looks like, and why science is still important.
- How Antivaxxers Like RFK Jr. Took Over American Healthcare, a video by More Perfect Union that includes an interview with Dr. Paul Offit, Director of the Vaccine Education Center (VEC). In the video, they discuss the four-times higher profit margins of the wellness industry compared with the pharmaceutical industry, and they create their own “wellness product,” called Deep State Detox, to demonstrate how easy it is to market these products in a way that suggests they are based on science.
For additional resources related to how science works and how to assess the quality of information you are seeing, check the Parents PACK website section, “Evaluating information.”
How has your neighborhood fared in the cuts to scientific funding?
Maybe you have heard some of the stories about cuts to scientific funding over the past several months? Have you wondered if there is anything to them or how severe the cuts actually were? A team composed of researchers from five different universities has created a tool that can help. It’s called “The Impact Map,” and it shows county-level information related to how cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants are affecting each county based on funding and jobs.
A second version of the map outlines the potential impacts of the FY26 budget. Viewers can click on congressional districts to see who their elected officials are and the projected job and economic losses, including the types of research that are affected and the local institutions that are experiencing the losses. Each local report can be downloaded or shared on social media.
Find out more about the project or check how your district has been, or may be, impacted.
Teens and vaccines: Highlights from the most recent data
An annual survey of vaccine coverage among teens was published in August 2025. It indicated that vaccination coverage increased since the previous survey, and it demonstrated that most families in the U.S. are getting their children vaccinated. At least 9 of every 10 teens between 13 and 17 years of age received Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis), meningococcus ACWY, MMR, hepatitis B, and varicella (chickenpox) vaccines. Likewise, more than 8 of every 10 received hepatitis A vaccine, and almost that many got at least one dose of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine (78%).
Despite this good news, two points are important for families to be aware of:
- Only about 3 of every 10 teens got the second vaccine that protects against meningococcal infections, called meningococcus B. Many families do not realize there is a second vaccine to protect against one of the types of meningococcal infection because this vaccine has a different type of recommendation, called “shared clinical decision-making” (SCDM). SCDM recommendations were historically assigned to vaccines that might be of individual benefit, but for which the costs associated with immunizing the entire population were high. In the case of meningococcal B vaccine, this was because the numbers of cases and deaths caused by this bacterium each year are low. However, any child can get this infection, and as with the other types of meningococcal bacteria (A, C, W and Y), this disease can cause permanent disabilities and death — sometimes within hours of symptoms. For this reason, families should speak with their healthcare providers to see if their child could benefit from this vaccine.
- Several teen vaccines are currently recommended for more than one dose, including meningococcus ACWY, HPV, and for some, meningococcus B. The survey findings suggest that fewer students are getting those additional doses. While students who get one dose of a vaccine may have some immunity, if multiple doses are recommended, it is typically because the immune response after a single dose is not sufficient for protection. Therefore, it is important to check if your child has received the total number of recommended doses of each vaccine.
Decoding the language around science
One concerning trend is that some people use terminology to sound like they are sharing scientific information when in reality they either do not understand science or they are sharing information that is not based on the body of scientific evidence. Sadly, in some cases, they are intentionally misleading their audience for their own benefit, such as to make money, gain popularity (e.g., followers), or achieve political goals.
Two recently published resources came to our attention that can help provide some context and tips for spotting these situations:
- “Trust the Science” Doesn’t Mean What You Think It Does, a Substack article by Dr. Jessica Knurick that describes how science is done, what it has taught us, what anti-science looks like, and why science is still important.
- How Antivaxxers Like RFK Jr. Took Over American Healthcare, a video by More Perfect Union that includes an interview with Dr. Paul Offit, Director of the Vaccine Education Center (VEC). In the video, they discuss the four-times higher profit margins of the wellness industry compared with the pharmaceutical industry, and they create their own “wellness product,” called Deep State Detox, to demonstrate how easy it is to market these products in a way that suggests they are based on science.
For additional resources related to how science works and how to assess the quality of information you are seeing, check the Parents PACK website section, “Evaluating information.”
How has your neighborhood fared in the cuts to scientific funding?
Maybe you have heard some of the stories about cuts to scientific funding over the past several months? Have you wondered if there is anything to them or how severe the cuts actually were? A team composed of researchers from five different universities has created a tool that can help. It’s called “The Impact Map,” and it shows county-level information related to how cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants are affecting each county based on funding and jobs.
A second version of the map outlines the potential impacts of the FY26 budget. Viewers can click on congressional districts to see who their elected officials are and the projected job and economic losses, including the types of research that are affected and the local institutions that are experiencing the losses. Each local report can be downloaded or shared on social media.
Find out more about the project or check how your district has been, or may be, impacted.