Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #105379

Lynda Boyer-Chu, RN, MPH, San Francisco Unified School District, 1195 Hudson Street, San Francisco, CA 94124, 415-242-2615 x3542, lyndaboyer@aol.com, Susan F. Wooley, PhD, CHES, American School Health Association, 7263 State Route 43, P.O. Box 708, Kent, OH 44240, and Diane C. Peterson, Immunization Action Coalition, 1573 Selby Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55104-6328.

Until the 1990s, infants, preschoolers, and seniors received priority in the immunization world. Adolescents were, in the words of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the “orphans of immunization practices.” In the past 15 years, adolescents have received increasing attention due, largely, to the efficacy and availability of vaccines for hepatitis B, varicella and meningococcal meningitis, and to the implementation of school requirements at the secondary level for one or more of these vaccines. An improved formation for adolescents will soon be available. In the next few years, we will also witness vaccines for human papilloma virus and herpes simplex virus. Each of these vaccines will likely be targeted to adolescents. This presentation will provide participants with a Kit that is designed for secondary schools with students in 6th through 12th grade. The presenter will provide an overview of vaccinations currently recommended for adolescents and those that are about to be approved in the next 2-3 years. Participants will be asked to share their experiences of barriers to adolescent immunization. The Kit will be introduced by having participants view each of the components: the User's Guide, the CD, and the posters. In addition, participants will be shown user-friendly websites that are designed for professionals, for parents, and for youth. Participants will be given prompts for small group discussions, i.e. “Given existing barriers, how do you plan to implement an educational and/or clinical program for adolescents? What additional resources would assist you in this process?” Groups will share-out their strategies.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) will be able to

• List at least 5 immunizations recommended for adolescents ages 11-18,
• Describe at least 3 barriers that keep adolescents from obtaining needed immunizations,
• Develop a timetable for implementing a planning and/or implementation process for using the kit in participant's community.

Keywords: Immunizations, Adolescent Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commertial supporters WITH THE EXCEPTION OF Aventis-Pasteur.