Santa Barbara County Public Health encourages preteen vaccinations for a healthy future
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department (SBCPHD) is joining California in recognizing March 4-8 as Preteen Vaccine Week to encourage health and well being for children 11 and 12-years-old.
The California Department of Public Health began the initiative to promote healthy futures for preteens. Many vaccines begin a lot earlier than 11-years-old but there are other vaccines such as the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination that is recommended for preteens.
Public health professionals urge parents and guardians to ensure preteens receive the vaccines recommended for their age. Vaccinations to be considered specifically are; Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis), HPV (human papillomavirus), flu, COVID-19, varicella, and meningococcal vaccines.
Family Physician and Medical Director of Informatics, Dr. Scott Piazza, said it is vital preteens are vaccinated to protect themselves and others from viruses and diseases.
“For multiple of these vaccines, the purpose is not just to protect the patient as received the vaccine, but also those around them," said Dr. Piazza. "And certainly we saw that with flu vaccines, COVID vaccines with MMR vaccines for measles, mumps, rubella, where the patient sees some benefit. But those around them in their schools or in their homes, they get the benefit as well."
This is important for people who are in critical condition or have a weak immune system.
"And this is especially true where you may be in a house with other people who are, you know, compromised older adults who may have a weakened immune system," said Dr. Piazza. "You know, those are the folks that we're also trying to protect through this immunity."
Santa Barbara Public Health Department Officer, Dr. Henning Ansorg, said vaccines have a significant impact on the lives of preteens than can be detrimental in the future.
"We strongly recommend the meningococcal vaccine because that's, you know, for kids around 11, 12 years old, they should get the first vaccine and then the booster shot when they are 16," said Dr. Ansorg. "That's a very important vaccine to get because meningococcal, meningitis is a very, very serious illness and it's very heartbreaking if you see a teenager die from this and it's very, very contagious and it spreads in dormitories or, you know, in military recruits and young people."
Dr. Ansorg said the HPV vaccine has a 90% preventable chance when given as early 9-years-old for head and neck cancer, genital cancer, and cervical cancer.
"Another vaccine that is really important for all young people is the HPV or human papilloma vaccine," said Dr. Ansorg. "Human papilloma viruses are is a whole gamut of viruses, and many of them cause cancers later in life. So this is one of the rare vaccines that actually prevents cancer later in life."
Health care professionals said for parents who are weary of vaccinations to have an open communication with primary care physicians and do your research.
Sites recommended for parents are the CDC website, American Academy of Pediatrics, Healthy Children and the American Academy of Family Physicians.
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