still, given vaccines are considered safe, and given that discussions around vaccinations would be relatively straightforward, “i think it’s entirely possible a 13-, 14- or 15-year old would be competent on their own to consent” to the shots, caulfield said.
adolescents “all have to rebel in one way or another, and it would be pretty cool if they chose to rebel by getting immunized,” said dr. joan robinson, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at the university of alberta. “i guess the question that’s being asked is, should we put the idea into their heads?”
for her part, robinson thinks it would be a rare adolescent “who actually is going to pursue immunization on their own.” teens hardly ever go to the doctor to begin with, unless for some acute illness, “so there wouldn’t be a lot of opportunities for the discussion.”
instead, she believes schools should be educating kids about the history of vaccines and how to interpret what they’re reading and hearing in the media. “a sad story about a child who appeared to be normal and now they have some horrible problem, that is way more convincing than reading about medical evidence.”
diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, and chicken pox can affect teens if vaccines are missed as a young child. other vaccines the public health agency of canada recommends for teens include hepatitis b, meningococcal, a tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis booster, the hpv (human papillomavirus) vaccine and a seasonal flu shot.