A recent study finds that more pre-teens get vaccines when they are required by their school.
In 2010, California saw the worst outbreak of whooping cough in 50 years, leading to more than 27,000 people sickened and the deaths of 10 infants. The outbreak led to urgent calls for parents to keep their children's pertussis vaccines up to date.
Meningococcal disease is a leading cause of bacterial meningitis, an infection around the brain and the spinal cord that kills about one in 10 people who contract it, according to the CDC. "Meningitis is a very serious disease. A person can seem fine, and within hours all of a sudden they can be very ill and potentially die," Stokley said.
Human papillomavirus is a common virus among people in their teens and early 20s and is spread during sex, potentially causing genital warts in men and women. Certain strains cause cervical cancer in women and also anal cancer, Stokley said.
More information
Check out the recommended vaccine schedule for kids and adults at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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