LEAWOOD, Kan.,
June 27, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/
-- The American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation today
announced the launch of Highlight on VACCINATIONS 4 TEENS, a
new program that will help family physicians educate teen patients
and their families about the importance of vaccination at a time
when millions of teens remain vulnerable to serious infectious
disease. With support from Sanofi Pasteur, 15 American Academy of
Family Physicians Chapters each received a $5,000 grant to bring this program to members to
help increase teen vaccination rates in their states.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends
adolescents receive four immunizations – two of which are
administered as multi-dose series – to help protect against
meningococcal meningitis; human
papillomavirus (HPV); tetanus, diphtheria
and pertussis (whooping cough) (Tdap); and influenza (flu). Despite
these recommendations, only 33 percent of adolescents who received
the first dose of meningococcal meningitis vaccine (MenACWY)
received the recommended second dose, only 42 percent of girls and
28 percent of boys completed the HPV vaccine series, and less than
half of teens 13 through 17 years of age were vaccinated against
the flu. While the majority (86 percent) of teens received the Tdap
booster, there is still room for
improvement.1,2,3
"It's difficult to see children are still suffering, and
in some cases dying, from vaccine-preventable diseases," said
S. Hughes Melton, MD, MBA, FAAFP,
AAFP Foundation president. "It's our job as healthcare
professionals to help keep our patients healthy, and this includes
providing the recommended immunizations at the right time. Programs
like this are so impactful by providing the indispensable support
family physicians need to help protect more
teens."
The 15 AAFP Chapters selected to bring Highlight on
VACCINATIONS 4 TEENS to members were chosen through the AAFP
Foundation's Family Medicine Philanthropic Consortium. The program
provides financial support for Chapters to host a
multi-disciplinary panel discussion featuring local immunization
champions. Some panels will also feature family members who have
been impacted by under-vaccination.
All 125,000 AAFP members will receive access to the
program's library of resources which help family physicians, their
care teams and office staffs speak with teens and their families
about recommended immunizations. Educational videos are featured to
help healthcare professionals better understand the 2017 Childhood
and Adolescent Immunization Schedule and discuss recommended
immunizations with their patients. The resource library also
includes patient educational materials such as appointment
reminders, personal testimonials from families who have been
impacted by under-vaccination, videos, in-office posters and
digital content.
"This program couldn't come at a more important time as
most of Oklahoma's adolescent
vaccination rates fall even lower than the national
averages," said Kari Webber,
deputy director, Oklahoma Academy of Family Physicians. "This
program helped provide the tools we need to highlight this issue
among our members and prepare them to proactively initiate
conversations with their teen patients. As a result, some of our
members have introduced new standing orders within their own
practices to keep their teen patients up-to-date on immunizations."
To learn more about the AAFP Foundation or Highlight on
VACCINATIONS 4 TEENS, including the full list of Chapters who
received grants, please visit
www.aafpfoundation.org/vaccinations4teens.
About the American Academy of Family Physicians
Foundation
The AAFP Foundation serves as the
philanthropic arm of the American Academy of Family Physicians. Its
mission is to advance the values of Family Medicine by promoting
humanitarian, educational, and scientific initiatives that improve
the health of all people. For more information, please visit
www.aafpfoundation.org.
About Sanofi
Sanofi, a
global healthcare leader, discovers, develops and distributes
therapeutic solutions focused on patients' needs. Sanofi is
organized into five global business units: Diabetes and
Cardiovascular, General Medicines and Emerging Markets, Sanofi
Genzyme, Sanofi Pasteur and Consumer Healthcare. Sanofi is listed
in Paris (EURONEXT:
SAN) and in New
York (NYSE:
SNY).
Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi, provides
more than 1 billion doses of vaccine each year, making it possible
to immunize more than 500 million people across the globe. A world
leader in the vaccine industry, Sanofi Pasteur produces a portfolio
of high quality vaccines that matches its areas of expertise and
meets public-health demand. The company's heritage, to create
vaccines that protect life, dates back more than a century. Sanofi
Pasteur is the largest company entirely dedicated to vaccines.
Every day, the company invests more than EUR
1 million in research and development. For more information,
please visit: www.sanofipasteur.com
or www.sanofipasteur.us.
References:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016).
National, Regional, State, and Selected Local Area Vaccination
Coverage Among Adolescents Aged 13–17 Years — United States, 2015. Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm6533a4.htm?s_cid=mm6533a4_e.
- United States Census Bureau. (2013). Age and Sex
Composition in the United States.
Retrieved from
https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2013/demo/age-and-sex/2013-age-sex-composition.html.
Accessed June 26, 2017.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015,
September 29). Flu Vaccination
Coverage, United States, 2015-16
Influenza Season. Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/fluvaxview/coverage-1516estimates.htm.
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SOURCE The American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation