PRESS RELEASE

 From the Office of the Commissioner of Health, Dr. Gale R. Burstein

 Date August 14, 2016

CONTACT: Mary C. St. Mary/Mary.StMary@Erie.Gov

Phone: 716.858.4941/ Mobile: 716.253.3925

Preteens & Teens: Ensure a Healthy Future

Parents—Be Sure They Are Up-to-Date on Vaccinations!

ERIE COUNTY, NY— Parents can do a number of things to ensure a healthy future for their child.

One of the most important actions parents can take is to make sure their children are up to date on their vaccines. Following the recommended immunization schedule provides the best protection from serious, and sometimes deadly, diseases. 

Preteens and teens need four vaccines to protect against serious diseases:

•           MCV4 (quadrivalent) meningococcal conjugate vaccine to protect against meningitis and blood infections (septicemia);

•           HPV (human papilloma virus) vaccine to protect against cancers caused by HPV;

•           Tdap vaccine to protect against tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough (pertussis); and

•           a yearly flu vaccine to protect against seasonal flu.

Teens and young adults may also be vaccinated with a serogroup B meningococcal vaccine. 

“Adolescents need vaccines because they are at increased risk for certain diseases like meningitis and cancer-causing HPV infections. It is important to get HPV vaccine before being exposed to HPV. Parents can send their preteens and teens to middle school and high school – and also off to college – protected from these vaccine-preventable diseases by ensuring their children are up to date on their vaccines,” stated Dr. Gale Burstein, Erie County Commissioner of Health

Along with helping protect preteens and teens from certain diseases like the flu, being vaccinated also helps stop the spread of these diseases to others in their family, classroom, and community.

To learn more about the vaccines recommended for adolescents, visit www.cdc.gov/vaccines, or speak with your child’s healthcare provider, or call the ECDOH Immunization Clinic (located at 608 William St., Buffalo) at (716) 858-7687.