Skip to main content
N I Direct government services

Main navigation

  • Home
  • News
  • Contacts
  • Help
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • RSS

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Health and wellbeing
  3. Living well
  4. Immunisation and vaccinations
  5. Childhood immunisation

Immunisation for teenagers between 14 and 18 years old

When you’re aged between 14 and18, you get two vaccines against infectious diseases. You need these vaccines to complete your immunisation programme and give you long-term protection. You'll receive a booster vaccine against tetanus, diphtheria and polio. You will also receive a vaccine against four strains of meningococcal infection.

How a vaccine works

A vaccine has:

  • a small part of the bacterium or virus that causes a disease
  • small amounts of the chemical the bacterium produces

The vaccine stimulates your body’s immune system to fight infections and diseases. When you come into contact with the infection, your antibodies will recognise it and protect you.

When you might not get a vaccine

There are some reasons why immunisation might not be right for you. It’s important to tell your GP or nurse about any illnesses or allergies you have had. Before vaccination, the doctor or nurse needs to know if you:

  • have a very high temperature, vomiting or diarrhoea on the day of the appointment
  • have had convulsions or fits
  • had a bad reaction to a previous immunisation
  • are allergic to anything
  • have a bleeding disorder
  • have had treatment for cancer
  • have an illness that affects the immune system, for example, leukaemia, HIV or AIDS
  • take medicine that affects the immune system, for example, high dose steroids or treatments given after organ transplant or for cancers
  • have any other serious illness

Knowing about your health helps the doctor or nurse choose the best immunisations. A family history of illness doesn’t mean you cannot have a vaccination.

Getting the vaccines

A teenager getting an injection in her arm
Both vaccines are contained in one injection

You get both vaccines at the same time. Your school health department organises the vaccination programme for most young people aged between 14 and 18.

If you’re aged under 16, you will need your parent or guardian’s consent to get the vaccines at school.

If you’re aged between 16 and 18 and no longer at school, you should ask your GP about getting the vaccines.

Tetanus, diphtheria and polio (Td/IPV) vaccine

You get the vaccine in one injection to give you long-term protection against:

  • tetanus (T)
  • diphtheria (d)
  • polio (IPV)

You should have received earlier vaccines against these diseases when:

  • you were two, three and four months old
  • you were three years and four months old
  • Immunisation for babies up to one year old
  • Immunisation for pre-school children

Side effects of the Td/IPV vaccine

On your arm where you get the injection, you might have:

  • swelling and redness
  • a small, painless lump that usually disappears in a few weeks

On rare occasions, people may experience more serious side effects including:

  • fever
  • headache
  • dizziness
  • feeling sick
  • swollen glands

Feeling unwell after vaccination

You can take paracetamol or ibuprofen if you feel unwell after vaccination. If necessary, take a second dose four to six hours later. Contact your doctor if your temperature is still high after the second dose. It’s important to tell your doctor about any health problem that could be linked to your immunisation.

If you’re aged under 16, you shouldn’t take aspirin or any medicine containing aspirin.

Meningococcal disease

 Meningococcal disease (meningitis and/or blood poisoning (septicaemia is a life-threatening condition caused by meningococcal bacteria. The most common strains of the disease are:

  • meningococcal group A
  • meningococcal group B
  • meningococcal group C
  • meningococcal group W
  • meningococcal group Y

Meningitis ACWY (MenACWY) vaccine

This vaccine protects against meningitis A, C, W and Y. You get the vaccine in one injection.

Side effects of the MenACWY vaccine

On your arm where you get the injection, you might have:

  • swelling and redness
  • a small, painless lump that usually disappears in a few weeks

On rare occasions, people may experience more serious side effects including:

  • fever
  • headache
  • dizziness
  • feeling sick
  • swollen glands

Feeling unwell after vaccination

You can take paracetamol or ibuprofen if you feel unwell after vaccination. If necessary, take a second dose four to six hours later.

Contact your doctor if your temperature is still high after the second dose. It’s important to tell your doctor about any health problem that could be linked to your immunisation.

If you’re aged under 16, you shouldn’t take aspirin or any medicine containing aspirin.

MenACWY vaccination for teenagers and students

There is a separate vaccination programme for teenagers and students who didn’t get the MenACWY vaccine at school.

All young people born from 2 July 1996 and who have not yet received the MenACWY vaccine can request this from their GP up to the age of 25 years.

First year university students up to the age of 25 years can also request the vaccine from their GP. You should do this before starting university.

  • MenACWY vaccination programme for teenagers and students

HPV vaccine

Young people aged 12 to 13 are offered the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to protect them against HPV-related cancers including cervical cancer (in women) and other cancers of the anus, genitals, mouth and throat (in men and women).

  • HPV vaccine

Measles, Mumps and Rubella Vaccine (MMR) for teenagers

You should have received one dose of MMR just after your first birthday and a second dose aged three years and four months old.

If you didn't receive two doses of the MMR vaccine, the school health team will offer you the chance to have the MMR vaccine.

  • Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine

More useful links

  • Meningitis
  • Childhood immunisation programme
  • Your local doctor (GP)
Share this page Share on Facebook (external link opens in a new window / tab) Share on Twitter (external link opens in a new window / tab) Share by email (external link opens in a new window / tab)

Childhood immunisation

  • Childhood immunisation programme
  • Immunisation for babies aged 12 or 13 months
  • Immunisation for babies up to one year old
  • Immunisation for premature babies
  • Immunisation for preschool children
  • Immunisation for teenagers between 14 and 18 years old

Translation help

How to translate this page

Help improve this page - send your feedback

What do you want to do?
Report a problem
Which problem did you find on this page? (Tick all that apply)

Messages

You will not receive a reply. We will consider your feedback to help improve the site.

Don't include any personal or financial information, for example National Insurance, credit card numbers, or phone numbers.

What is your question about?

What to do next

Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk 

If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit.  Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

Carer's Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912
Email 
dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance

Call 0800 587 2750 
Email 
customerservice.unit@communities-ni.gov.uk

Disability Living Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912 
Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Employment and Support Allowance

Call 0800 587 1377

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

Personal Independence Payment

Call 0800 587 0932

If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

For queries or advice about careers, contact the Careers Service.

For queries or advice about Child Maintenance, contact the Child Maintenance Service.

For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit.

If you can’t find the information you’re looking for in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) section, then for queries about:

  • Restrictions or regulations — contact the Department of Health
  • Travel advice (including self-isolation) — contact the Department of Health
  • Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations — contact the Department of Health or Public Health Agency

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk and for queries about your certificate, email covidcertni@hscni.net.

For queries or advice about criminal record checks, email ani@accessni.gov.uk

Application and payment queries can be emailed to ema_ni@slc.co.uk

For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency.

For queries or advice about birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates and research, contact the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI) by email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk

For queries about the High Street Spend Local Scheme,  email HSSS.mail@economy-ni.gov.uk.

For queries about:

  • Car tax, vehicle registration and SORN
    contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Swansea
     
  • Driver licensing and tests, MOT and vehicle testing
    contact the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA), Northern Ireland

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk.

 

For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office.

For queries or advice about Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), including parking tickets and bus lane PCNs, email dcu@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads.

For queries or advice about historical, social or cultural records relating to Northern Ireland, use the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) enquiry service.

For queries or advice about rates, email LPSCustomerTeam@lpsni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about  60+ and Senior Citizen SmartPasses (which can be used to get concessionary travel on public transport), contact Smartpass - Translink.

If you have a question about a government service or policy, you should contact the relevant government organisation directly.  We don't have access to information about you.

Related sites

  • gov.uk
  • nibusinessinfo.co.uk

Links to supporting information

  • Accessibility statement
  • Crown copyright
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy
  • Cookies
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • RSS