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Protect Your Adolescent from Serious Disease: February 13-19 Marks Pre-teen Vaccine Week
February 16, 2011
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, pertussis (whooping cough) and cervical cancer. Over time immunity from certain childhood vaccines can wear off, and your adolescent may be at risk for serious diseases that can easily spread, such as chickenpox, flu and whooping cough.
Each year, hundreds of children in Michigan become ill from diseases that could have been prevented. Pertussis activity is on the rise in the United States and here in Michigan. As of Dec. 31, 2010, there were 1,519 cases reported in Michigan alone. These outbreaks can be prevented by assuring that infants, adolescents, and adults receive their pertussis vaccine.
"It's important that 11- and 12-year-olds see their health care provider 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 of the benefits immunizations can provide."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Society for Adolescent Medicine recommend that all 11- and 12-year-olds get a pre-teen check-up. This doctor's visit is a great opportunity for parents and pre-teens to discuss the challenges of growing up with their health care providers.
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. HPV vaccine is recommended to protect against cervical cancer and genital warts in females and may be given to males to protect against genital warts and anal cancer.
If your child has not yet had a pre-teen check-up, give them a healthy start as an adolescent and make an appointment today. While there, parents should make sure their pre-teens are up-to-date on other immunizations such as flu, 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 get affordable vaccines for their children.
For more information about which vaccines pre-teens need, visit www.michigan.gov/teenvaccines.