Lifelong Conversations about Sexual Health
Teen Health Week is April 4-10, 2022, and STD Awareness Week is April 10-16, 2022, both of which provide an opportunity for healthcare professionals to begin lifelong conversations with patients about sexual health and the importance of staying up to date on all recommended vaccines …
Vaccines Are Not Just for Young Children
CDC recommends vaccinations from birth to adulthood to provide a lifetime of protection. Yet many adolescents are not vaccinated as recommended, leaving them unnecessarily vulnerable. International Adolescent Health Week (March 20-26, 2022) is a perfect time to make sure that pre-teens and teens are up to date on all recommended vaccines …
Debunking 5 Common Health Myths
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has clearly demonstrated the importance of public health, the prevalence of medical misinformation online is making it harder than ever for young people to tell the difference between fact and fiction when it comes to protecting their own health. To help equip them with reliable information, NFID and DoSomething.org launched a new campaign, Complete What’s Missing, which aims to educate young people about meningococcal disease and the importance of prevention through vaccination. Special thanks to DeNora Getachew, chief executive officer of DoSomething.org, for the guest blog post on the importance of being fully informed about ways to spot medical misinformation …
Schaffner Report: Adolescent COVID-19 Vaccination
On May 12, 2021, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended that the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine be used in children age 12-15 years and provided new guidance on co-administration of COVID-19 vaccines with other recommended vaccines, including influenza. In this episode of the Schaffner Report, NFID Medical Director William Schaffner, MD, talks with NFID Executive Director and CEO Marla Dalton about these important new developments …
Teen Vaccination Rates Are Improving—But Not For All…
While overall US teen vaccine coverage has increased, more education and stronger provider recommendations are needed to boost human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates…
The Power to Protect Yourself & Your Family
During National Immunization Awareness Month, NFID will share information and resources on social media to highlight the importance of vaccines across the lifespan. Help us spread the word in 3 easy ways…
Know The ABC’s of Hepatitis Prevention
Millions are currently living with viral hepatitis but many do not know they are infected, as individuals can live with the disease for decades without having symptoms…
Protecting Your Children’s Health Through the Holidays
With winter known as the season for colds and flu, and also whooping cough, it’s important as a mom of four to put my cape on and hone in on protecting my little beings. Like many children, my kids get vaccinated for various illnesses, but did you know that adults should get their Tdap booster vaccine too in order to prevent whooping cough?
Be #AntibioticSmart: Help Fight Resistance
It is not too late to slow the spread of resistant bacteria. Prevention is key! Working together, we must identify and stop outbreaks faster, track the spread of disease more quickly, and improve the way antibiotics are used in healthcare and agriculture to preserve the effectiveness of these precious medicines.
Vaccines Are Not Just for Babies
Unity recently released the results of a national survey of parents of teens, teens, and healthcare providers underscoring that misperceptions about preventive health and vaccines may contribute to under-vaccination of teens. While a vast majority of parents and teens believe it is important for all teens to be vaccinated, in reality teen vaccination rates are lower than they should be…
World Hepatitis Day: Are Your Teens Protected?
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver and is often caused by a virus. There are several types of hepatitis viruses but in the US, the most common types are Hepatitis A, B, and C. Millions are living with viral hepatitis but most do not know they are infected. People can live with chronic hepatitis for decades without having symptoms. Two vaccines are currently available to help prevent viral hepatitis in adolescents…
Measles in Minnesota: 2017 Update
The 2017 Minnesota measles outbreak, with 78 cases, is now the largest measles outbreak in the state in the past 3 decades. There have been more measles cases in the Minneapolis area in 7 weeks than the entire US in 2016. It seems impossible that a vaccine-preventable disease is making a comeback here in the US, in Europe, and around the world…
