Next week is the final week of National Immunization Awareness Month and the Health Department wants to focus attention on the required and recommended vaccines for preteens and teens. Parents want to ensure a healthy future for their children. 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 a Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis) vaccine, meningococcal vaccine, and HPV (human papilloma virus) vaccine to protect against serious diseases. A yearly flu vaccine is also recommended for all children beginning at 6 months of age. Preteens and teens need vaccines because they are at greater risk for certain diseases like meningitis and the cancers caused by HPV infection. By making sure vaccines are up to date parents can send their preteens and teens to middle school, high school and off to college with protection from vaccine-preventable diseases.

Being vaccinated not only helps protect adolescents from getting certain diseases like the flu and whooping cough (pertussis), but also helps stop the spread of these diseases to others in their family, classroom and community. This is especially important to help protect babies too young to be fully vaccinated, people age 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems due to cancer, heart disease or other health conditions.

Parents can get information about any vaccines their preteen or teen needs by talking with their primary care physician or by contacting the Brownwood/Brown County Health Department at 646-0554. Information about recommended vaccines and vaccine scheduling can also be found on the Centers for Disease Control website at cdc.gov.