This post was sponsored by Unity Consortium as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
As my son has gotten older, we don’t visit the pediatrician for those “yearly” vaccines. Vaccines are always a big deal for infants and toddlers, but not such a big deal once they start school. Sure, he gets the flu shot every year and his required vaccines to be in a public school, but I am guilty of not keeping up with the recommended vaccines. Even though I work in the medical field, I really didn’t grasp the importance of teen vaccinations until one of his friends got sick. It just happened so quick, we couldn’t believe how sick she got in a matter of hours. They figured out she had Meningitis after her multiple seizures and being on a ventilator for almost 24 hours. She is doing great now. I am not sure if she has had the meningococcal vaccine, but I know I will be spreading the word to all his friends’ parents to make sure they know how important these vaccines are! The Unity Consortium is dedicated to help educate everyone about the importance of adolescent health.
What is the Unity Consortium?
Unity Consortium addresses the challenges surrounding adolescent and young adult health, with a goal of ensuring 9 in 10 are fully vaccinated against preventable diseases. The Consortium intends to drive or support efforts to protect adolescents against all vaccine-preventable diseases, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
There is additional information about the survey and the importance of vaccines on the website Unity4TeenVax.org
Why are vaccines so important for teens? Here are my top 4 reasons:
- Keeping our teens up to date on their vaccines keeps them healthier by building on the vaccines they received in their younger years.
- The risks are real! Teens are more likely to engage in behaviors that allows them to catch and spread diseases- sharing drinks, close quarters, group hangouts and more.
- Vaccines not only keep them healthy NOW, but also later in life. 14 million people (mostly teens and young adults) are infected with HPV which leaves them vulnerable to associated cancers later in life.
- Vaccines keep more kids in schools and not home sick. Vaccines provides immunity to a larger group- known as “herd immunity.” When most people are vaccinated against a certain disease, even people who can’t be vaccinated get some protection.
Did you know?
- Approximately 1 in 4 parents and teens believe that vaccines are more important for babies and not as important for teens
- More than one-third of teens (34%) don’t know how being vaccinated helps them
- Four in 10 parents (41%) believe their teen should only see a doctor when he/she feels sick, reducing opportunities to discuss preventive health measures, such as vaccines
- While most teens (92%) trust their doctor when seeking information about their health, nearly half of all teens (47%) agree they do not like talking to doctors or other healthcare providers.
Recommended Vaccinations:
Talk to your teen’s physician today about these 4 vaccinations.
- Meningococcal-includes two distinct meningococcal disease vaccines (ACWY and B)
- Tdap-tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough) and Td Booster (tetanus and diphtheria)
- HPV-human papillomavirus
- Flu
For more information on adolescent health and vaccines, be sure to visit the Unity4TeenVax Website.
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What are your thoughts on Teen Vaccinations? Let us know in the comments below!
