LANSING - In recognition of Pre-teen Vaccine Week, the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) is urging parents to make sure their children are vaccinated against potentially life-threatening diseases such as meningitis, whooping cough and cervical cancer. Over time, immunity from certain childhood vaccines can wear off. Your adolescent may be at risk for serious diseases that can easily spread, like chickenpox and whooping cough.

Each year, hundreds of children in Michigan become ill from diseases that could have been prevented. In 2009, there were more cases of pertussis (whooping cough) than in recent years in Michigan and across the country. These outbreaks can be prevented by assuring that infants and adolescents receive their pertussis vaccine.

"It's important that 11- and 12-year-olds see the doctor and get immunized," said Dr. Greg Holzman, chief medical executive. "Protecting the health of Michigan's youth is one of our most urgent priorities. Pre-teen Vaccine Week is part of our commitment to ensuring our kids receive all the benefits immunizations can provide."

Physicians may recommend several vaccines, including the meningococcal vaccine, a Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough) booster, a second chickenpox shot (if they have never had chickenpox disease) and the HPV vaccine series (which protects against cervical cancer). The doctor may also recommend two flu vaccines - seasonal and 2009 H1N1.

Parents of pre-teens are urged to schedule a check-up with their child's doctor to make sure their immunizations are up-to-date. While there, parents should make sure their pre-teens are up-to-date on other immunizations such as hepatitis B, measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) and polio.

If your pre-teen does not have health insurance, or is only partially insured, ask your doctor or local health department about the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program. The VFC program helps families to get affordable vaccines for their children. Older teens and adults may also be able to get vaccines at their local health department through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) program. The HPV4 vaccine is available through this program for women 19 through 26 years of age who are uninsured, under-insured, or have certain risk factors.

For more information about which vaccines pre-teens need, visit http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/spec-grps/preteens-adol.htm.