Indiana Fever Forward Tamika Catchings and NBA Legend Bob Lanier Join Vaccines for Teens Educational Campaign to Urge Local Teens to Take Their Best Shot at Health
Indianapolis Teens At Risk For Potentially Life-Threatening Diseases - Vaccination Offers Best Protection
INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Indiana Fever forward Tamika Catchings and Basketball Hall of Famer Bob Lanier teamed up with NBA Cares and the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM) today to bring Vaccines for Teens to the Indianapolis community. Vaccines for Teens is a national awareness campaign designed to educate teens and their parents about the importance of vaccination against serious and potentially life-threatening diseases.
To tip off the campaign locally, Catchings and Lanier appeared at Northwest Community High School to urge parents of preteens and teens to discuss adolescent vaccinations with their family physicians.
Teens are at risk for serious infections such as influenza, meningococcal disease (meningitis) and pertussis (whooping cough). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other leading medical groups recommend vaccination for preteens and teens against influenza, meningococcal disease and pertussis. The basketball superstars and local community leaders agree it's important to help protect preteens and teens in the Indianapolis area from these potentially life-threatening diseases, especially at the start of the school year.
"Vaccination is important to help teens stay healthy, and should be encouraged for the students at Northwest Community High School and for preteens and teens throughout the Indianapolis area," said Catchings. "In basketball, the best offense is a good defense, and the same holds true for protecting teen health."
Adolescent Immunization is More Important than Ever in Indianapolis
Although the CDC and other leading medical groups recommend vaccination against influenza, meningococcal disease and pertussis, immunization rates for prevention of all three diseases among preteens and teens remain unacceptably low in Indiana, where fewer than half of teens between 13 and 17 years of age have been vaccinated against meningococcal disease and pertussis.
Adolescent immunization in Indianapolis is a very important community health issue. Cases of meningococcal disease were reported earlier this year at Purdue University's West Lafayette campus. Last year, Indiana experienced the worst outbreak of pertussis in more than 50 years, according to the Indiana State Department of Health. In addition, since January 2011, more than 1,200 cases of influenza have been reported in Indiana, with more than 75 percent of cases affecting children and young adults.
"With teens in such close contact in classrooms and on school sports teams, these infectious diseases can spread easily from student to student," said Rebekah L. Williams, MD, MS, FAAP of the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine "Vaccination is a safe and effective way to help teens stay protected, yet immunization rates remain low in this population."
Teens and their parents can learn more about risk factors for contracting vaccine-preventable diseases, and the benefits of vaccination, by visiting www.vaccinesforteens.net.
About Vaccine-preventable Adolescent Diseases
Immunization is critically important for adolescents because they are at risk for serious and potentially life-threatening diseases.
Meningococcal Disease / Meningococcal Meningitis
Although rare, meningococcal disease, including meningitis, is a serious, life-threatening infection that moves quickly and can lead to death within 24 to 48 hours of first symptoms. Early symptoms may be similar to influenza, making it difficult for health-care providers to diagnose. Currently, the CDC recommends vaccination for preteens and teens beginning at 11 years of age, with a booster dose by 18 years of age.
Influenza
Influenza is a viral infection that can become serious enough to keep teens home from school, sports and other activities. It can sometimes result in a visit to the hospital or lead to serious complications like pneumonia or even death. Vaccination is the best protection against the spread of the influenza virus. The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months of age and older get vaccinated against influenza each year. Vaccination begins as soon as vaccine becomes available and continues into spring or as long as the influenza virus is in circulation. In most seasons, influenza virus activity peaks in February or March, so vaccination throughout the entire influenza season is beneficial and recommended.
Pertussis, Commonly Called "Whooping Cough"
Pertussis is one of the most common respiratory diseases in American teens and adults. It causes a prolonged cough that can last weeks or months and can result in pneumonia or hospitalization. Teens and adults can spread pertussis to younger children, who can develop a life-threatening pertussis infection. The CDC recommends a single dose of Tdap vaccine for adults and adolescents, especially those in close contact with a baby. It is important to speak with your health-care provider about whether you and/or your family should get vaccinated.
About the Vaccines for Teens Campaign
The NBA and the WNBA are collaborating with the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM) and Sanofi Pasteur on Vaccines for Teens, a national campaign designed to help educate parents and their teens about the importance of getting vaccinated.
About NBA Cares
NBA Cares is the league's social responsibility initiative that builds on the NBA's long tradition of addressing important social issues in the United States and around the world. Through this umbrella program, the NBA, its teams and players have donated than $150 million to charity, completed more than 1.5 million hours of hands-on community service, and created more than 560 places where kids and families can live, learn, or play, in 22 countries and territories on five continents. NBA Cares works with internationally recognized youth-serving programs that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes, including: KaBOOM!, Special Olympics, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, UNICEF, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis.
About the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine
SAHM is a multi-disciplinary organization of health professionals who are committed to advancing the health and well-being of adolescents. Through education, research, clinical services, and advocacy activities, members of the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine strive to enhance public and professional awareness of adolescent health issues among families, educators, policy makers, youth-serving organizations, students who are considering a health career as well as other health professionals. SAHM members come from many different professional disciplines but share the common goal of better understanding the unique health needs and concerns of adolescents. For more information on SAHM, log onto www.adolescenthealth.org.
About Sanofi
Sanofi, a global and diversified health-care leader, discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions focused on patients' needs. Sanofi has core strengths in the field of health-care with seven growth platforms: diabetes solutions, human vaccines, innovative drugs, rare diseases, consumer healthcare, emerging markets and animal health. Sanofi is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: SAN) and in New York (NYSE: SNY).
Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi, provides more than 1 billion doses of vaccine each year, making it possible to immunize more than 500 million people across the globe. A world leader in the vaccine industry, Sanofi Pasteur offers the broadest range of vaccines protecting against 20 infectious diseases. The company's heritage, to create vaccines that help protect life, dates back more than a century. Sanofi Pasteur is the largest company entirely dedicated to vaccines. Every day, the company invests more than EUR 1 million in research and development. For more information, please visit: www.sanofipasteur.com or www.sanofipasteur.us
Contacts: |
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NBA: |
Madeline Wehle Crandall |
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212-407-8284 |
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Indiana Fever: |
Kevin Messenger |
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317-917-2844 |
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SAHM: |
Kasia Chalko |
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847-753-5226, ext. 351 |
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SOURCE Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine
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