Adolescent Immunization Booklets
Vaccines and Teens: The Busy Social Years
Despite the tremendous success that has been seen in the infant and childhood immunization programs, adolescent immunization rates remain tragically low. Although routine adolescent immunizations have been recommended since 1996, recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that vaccination coverage rates for recommended vaccines for adolescents 13-15 years of age are far below Healthy People 2020 goals and for some vaccines, such as the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine, rates remain below 40 percent. There have been several identified barriers to improving adolescent immunization rates, one primary barrier being low public and peer awareness about immunization coverage in this age group.
Vaccines and Teens: The Busy Social Years discusses which vaccines are recommended for adolescents and teens, what diseases they prevent, and whether the vaccines are safe. Information is also provided on how to make an adolescent comforatble during immunizations and locating vaccine records for colleges and employers. While targeted to parents of teenagers, this booklet is also of value to physicians and to adolescents themselves.
When you are discussing health and wellness with your adolescent patients and their parents, we hope these booklets will provide an opportunity to include vaccines in the discussion.
You can order up to five free booklets in English by sending an email with the subject heading "Adolescent IZ booklets" to L.J. Tan, Director, Medicine and Public Health, and provide your name, shipping address, and a contact telephone number. Alternatively, you can fax a request (with the same information) to (312) 464-4111 to the attention of L.J Tan.
The AMA has been aggressively working to improve adolescent immunization rates in the United States for several years and is delighted to be able to collaborate with the Vaccination Education Center at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia on this important educational tool and urge you to please consider it for your practice.
