Public Health officials push preteen, teen vaccinations

ALBANY — A minor inconvenience can avoid a larger one later on, a reality Public Health officials are trying to stress during the upcoming Georgia Preteen Vaccine Awareness Week.

Next week, parents will be reminded to talk with preteens and teens about getting immunized against vaccine-preventable diseases.

“Preteens are at an age where they are becoming more independent and social,” said Southwest Public Health District Immunization Coordinator Rebecca Snow. “They spend more time out with friends playing sports, going to sleep-away camps and attending parties. While this is a fun part of growing up, these activities could increase their risk for contracting potentially life-threatening diseases.

“Parents, make it a priority to vaccinate your preteen against preventable diseases.”

The Georgia Department of Public Health Rule calls for certain students to have proof of vaccinations protecting them against meningitis and pertussis, the latter of which is also known as whooping cough. The students included in those guidelines are those born on or after Jan. 1, 2002, those entering or transferring into seventh grade and any new entrant into eighth-12th grades in Georgia.

The law affects all public and private schools including, but not limited to, charter schools, community schools, juvenile court schools and other alternative school settings. It does not apply to home school students, officials said.

Snow said vaccines are the best defense against serious, preventable and sometimes deadly contagious diseases, and that they help avoid expensive therapies and hospitalization needed to treat infectious diseases like influenza and meningitis.

Officials said immunizations — at the time time — reduce absences both at school and after-school activities, and decrease the spread of illness at home, school and in the community.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently recommends the human papillomavirus vaccine for preteens and teens, which has been found to be effective in preventing certain cancers as well as venereal warts.

“Georgia Preteen Vaccine Awareness Week is an opportunity to raise awareness through schools, health care providers and the media regarding preteen immunizations, particularly Georgia’s pertussis and meningococcal requirements for incoming seventh-grade students,” Snow said. “Speak with your physician today to find out if your preteen is up-to-date.”

For more information about preteen and teen immunizations, individuals are encouraged to contact their respective county health department or health care provider.