THURSDAY, Aug. 2 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has launched a national campaign for parents and physicians to promote vaccinations of preteens. The campaign coincides with National Immunization Awareness Month in August.
The CDC recommends a check-up for children at age 11 or 12 and three vaccines for such patients, including MCV4 against meningitis; a tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis booster, and the human papillomavirus vaccine for girls to protect against cervical cancer.
"Many parents do not realize that some childhood vaccines, such as those for tetanus and whooping cough, wear off over time and, as they get older, young people are at risk of exposure to different diseases at school, camp, or in other new situations," Anne Schuchat, M.D., director of CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said in a prepared statement.
The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians and the Society for Adolescent Medicine all support the CDC's preteen vaccine recommendations. User-friendly, downloadable educational materials on the recommendations are available from a new Web site (www.cdc.gov/vaccines/preteen).
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