Teens Lacking Needed Vaccines
Despite what their parents believe, many teenagers are missing out on important vaccinations. Researchers at the University of Michigan’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital found that 90 percent of 614 parents participating in a poll assumed their teens had received all their needed shots. But many kids are deficient on vaccinations, particularly those that require more than one dose. The CDC reports that only one third of teens have received the second dose of the meningitis vaccine by age 17. And less than half of boys between the ages of 13 and 17 have had all their HPV (human papillomavirus) shots. The problem seems to be that teens don’t see their doctors for well-child visits as regularly as younger kids do. And when they do, it is usually because they’re sick or have been injured. Unfortunately, these visits don’t reliably lead to a discussion of whether their vaccinations are up to date. Michigan poll co-director Sarah Clark, M.P.H. noted that parents rely on health care providers to guide them on vaccines, adding that “given the general lack of awareness about adolescent vaccines shown in this poll, there is a clear need for providers to be more proactive for their teen patients.”
Source:
Michigan Medicine – University of Michigan. “Teens may be missing vaccines because parents aren’t aware they need one: National poll finds that many parents don’t know when or if their teen needs another vaccine.” July 17 2017. www.uofmhealth.org/news/archive/201707/teens-may-be-missing-vaccines-because-parents-aren’t-aware
Also in this week’s health bulletin:
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