NBA Hall of Famer and Milwaukee Bucks legend Bob Lanier has teamed up with current Milwaukee Bucks player and Vaccines for Teens spokesperson Jerry Stackhouse to bring Vaccines for Teens to the Milwaukee community. The partnership has formed as part of the NBA Cares mission and the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. To tip off the campaign, Lanier and Stackhouse appeared at the Roosevelt Middle School of the Arts in Milwaukee to urge parents of preteens and teens to discuss adolescent vaccinations with their family physicians.
"Vaccination can help teens grow into healthy adults, and is beneficial for the students at Roosevelt Middle School of the Arts and for teens throughout the Milwaukee area," said Stackhouse. "In basketball, the best offense is a good defense, and the same holds true for protecting teen health."
Vaccines for Teens is a national awareness campaign designed to educate teens and their parents about the importance of vaccination against serious and potentially life-threatening diseases.
Teens are at risk for influenza, including seasonal strains and the pandemic influenza A virus, as well as other serious infectious diseases such as meningococcal disease and whooping cough.
"With teens in such close contact in classrooms and on school sports teams, these infectious diseases can spread easily from student to student," said Dr. Wendi Ehrman, of the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. "Vaccination is a safe and effective way to help teens stay protected, yet immunization rates remain low in this population."
Teens and their parents can learn more about risk factors for getting sick with vaccine-preventable diseases, and the benefits of vaccination, by visiting www.vaccinesforteens.net.
