ATLANTA
(Aug.
20)
A recent survey out of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention found that adolescent vaccination at the national, state and
selected local area levels are all on the rise.
Continued
increases — as much as 15% — were made in nationwide coverage for
vaccines specifically recommended for pre-teens, according to 2009
National Immunization Survey-Teen estimates released Thursday by the
CDC.
The survey of more than 20,000 teens ages 13 to
17 years found that in 2009 there were increases in the percentage of
teens in this age group who had received vaccines routinely recommended
for 11- and 12-year-olds. Specifically:
• For one dose of the
tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis vaccine, coverage went up about
15 points to about 56%;
• For one dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine, coverage went up
about 12 points to about 54%;
• For girls who received at least one dose of human papillomavirus
vaccine, coverage increased 7 points to about 44%.
However, for girls who received the recommended three doses of
HPV vaccine, coverage was only about 27% (a 9% increase);
"
This year's data are mixed," stated Anne Schuchat,
director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory
Diseases. "We can see that more parents of adolescents are electing to
protect their children from serious diseases such as pertussis,
meningitis and cervical cancer, but there is clear room for improvement
in our system's ability to reach this age group."
"Pertussis
outbreaks in several states and an increase in pertussis-related infant
deaths in California highlight how important it is for pre-teens to
receive the Tdap booster," Schuchat added. "It is important for teens
and adults to get a one-time dose of Tdap to protect themselves and
those around them from whooping cough.
Young infants are most vulnerable
to serious complications from pertussis and can be infected by older
siblings, parents or other caretakers."
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