VALDOSTA – Health officials advocate vaccinating preteens now to protect them and their healthy future. 

In an effort to keep every adult and child safe, Lowndes County Health Department is joining the Georgia Department of Public Health in recognizing March 9-13 as Georgia Preteen Vaccine Awareness Week. 

The week serves as a reminder for parents to talk with their preteens and teens about getting immunized against vaccine-preventable diseases, health officials said.

“Every parent wants to protect their child and see them live a healthy life, yet many times parents don’t see vaccination as an urgent need,” said Sheila Lovett, immunization program director for the Georgia Department of Public Health. “Vaccinating your child is the single best way to protect them from preventable diseases, so we urge parents to prioritize vaccinations.”

According to the Georgia Department of Public Health Rule (511-2-2), all students born on or after Jan. 1, 2002, entering or transferring into seventh grade and any “new entrant” into eighth through 12th grades in Georgia need proof of receiving one dose of adolescent pertussis (whooping cough) booster vaccination (called “Tdap”) and one dose of adolescent meningococcal conjugate vaccination (MenACWY). 

Effective July 1, children 16 and older attending 11th grade must receive a booster dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine, unless their initial dose was administered on or after their 16th birthday. 

The law affects all public and private schools including, but not limited to charter schools, community schools, juvenile court schools and other alternative school settings (excluding homeschool), health officials said.

“Vaccines are the best defense we have against serious, preventable and sometimes deadly contagious diseases,” health officials said. “They help avoid expensive therapies and hospitalization needed to treat infectious diseases like influenza and meningitis. Immunizations also reduce absences both at school and after-school activities and decrease the spread of illness at home, school and the community.”

“Making sure your preteen is up-to-date on all of their vaccines is a critical part of helping protect them and keep them healthy,” said Norma Jean Johnson, RN, county nurse manager for Lowndes County Health Department. “As a parent, we encourage you to talk to your child about their vaccines and help them understand why they are so important.”

CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices currently routinely recommends the following vaccines for preteens and teens:

• Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis (Tdap).

• Influenza (flu).

• Human Papillomavirus (HPV).

• Meningococcal Disease (MenACWY).

Georgia Preteen Vaccine Awareness Week is an “opportunity to raise awareness through schools, health-care providers and the media regarding preteen immunizations, particularly Georgia’s pertussis and meningococcal requirements for incoming seventh-grade students. Speak with your physician today to find out if your preteen is up-to-date,” health officials said.