SILVER SPRING, Md. and
SWIFTWATER, Pa., May 11, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Best known for
her leading role on ABC Family's hit show "Pretty Little Liars,"
actress and singer Lucy Hale is
lending her voice to the Voices of Meningitis™ public health
initiative to educate moms and teens on how to help protect against
meningococcal meningitis, including a second vaccination that
millions of teens aren't receiving.1,2
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends
that a child receive one dose of meningococcal vaccine at age 11 or
12 years, followed by a second (or booster) vaccination as early as
age 16, since protection from the first dose wanes after 3-5
years in approximately half of immunized teens.3 Yet
data published by the CDC in 2014 showed that while 77.8% of teens
13-17 years of age received the first vaccination, only close to
30% received a booster dose.2 Therefore, millions of
teens are under-vaccinated.1,2
Although rare, meningococcal disease is potentially
life-threatening and can take a life in as little as 24
hours.4 The bacteria that cause meningococcal disease
can be spread through everyday activities, such as kissing and
sharing utensils and water bottles, putting teens at increased risk
for contracting the disease and suffering its devastating
consequences.5,6,7
"I joined Voices of Meningitis as an ambassador after
learning that millions of teens, many who are my fans, are at a
heightened risk of contracting meningococcal meningitis because
they have not received the CDC recommended second
dose,1,2" said Hale. "To think that, within a day, the
disease can attack otherwise healthy teens,4 causing
them to lose their hearing, limbs or, even worse, die8 —
it's terrifying. I want to do anything I can to help moms protect
their teens from what is a vaccine-preventable disease."
To effectively reach moms and teens with the important message
about meningitis prevention, Voices of Meningitis, a
collaboration between the National Association of School Nurses
(NASN) and Sanofi Pasteur, has joined forces with Varsity Vocals, a
national high school a cappella organization, for the "Boost the
Volume" competition. The competition challenged local, high school
singing groups across the country to "raise their own voices" and
perform an inspirational a cappella medley of songs that will serve
as a reminder to moms and teens about the importance of booster
vaccination.
Today, Hale, one of the competition judges, will announce the
finalists during a national media tour and through her social media
channels. She will join the groups for hometown performances of
their medley and will shoot a public service announcement (PSA)
about meningitis prevention with the winning high school group this
spring. As part of each community performance, Jamie Schanbaum, who survived meningococcal
meningitis, will address the audience to raise awareness of the
devastating consequences of the disease and stress the importance
of parents asking their teen's healthcare provider for a booster
vaccination. Attendees at all events will be able to speak to a
nurse from NASN to learn more about disease symptoms and
prevention.
To gain a better understanding of why teens and young adults are
not receiving a booster dose, Voices of Meningitis recently
commissioned a new online survey of healthcare providers who see
16-21 year olds for well-visits and mothers whose 16-21-year-old
children received the first meningococcal vaccination but not the
second vaccination. The survey found:
- Healthcare providers said, on average, only 15% of their
eligible patients or their patients' parents proactively ask about
a meningococcal booster dose. And 39% report that none of their
patients or their patients' parents proactively ask about it.
- 38% of moms said their child hasn't received the second dose
because they did not know there is a second dose.
- 32% of moms believe getting the first meningococcal vaccination
is important but do not think getting the second meningococcal
vaccination is essential.
The online survey of 276 U.S. mothers, and 256 U.S. healthcare
providers was conducted in March by Harris Poll on behalf of
Voices of Meningitis.
"These survey findings underscore a huge vulnerability in our
children's health as they get older," said Carolyn Duff, MS, RN, NCSN, President of NASN.
"When children are young, parents are vigilant about vaccinating
them against preventable diseases. Unfortunately, these same
parents are not aware that they are not protecting their teens — as
they simply do not know that a booster vaccination is needed to
help protect their child against meningococcal meningitis. Parents
should connect with their child's school nurse or other healthcare
provider to make sure their teen receives the meningococcal
meningitis booster dose."
Parents and teens can visit BoostTheVolume.com to learn more about
meningococcal meningitis, hear stories from families who have been
impacted by the disease, watch the winning medley performances and
find educational materials and resources.
About the Survey
This survey was conducted online
within the United States by Harris
Poll on behalf of Sanofi Pasteur from March
18-30, 2015, among 276 mothers, age 35+ who are the parent
or guardian of at least one child between the ages of 16-21 who had
received the first meningococcal vaccination, but not the second;
and 256 licensed primary care or pediatric physicians who see
patients between the ages of 16 and 21 for well visits. This online
survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no
estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.
About Meningococcal Disease and Meningococcal
Meningitis
Meningococcal disease is a rare but serious
bacterial infection that includes meningitis (swelling of the
tissues around the brain and spinal cord), bacteremia (a severe
blood infection) and pneumonia. The bacteria that cause
meningococcal disease are spread through respiratory droplets and
direct contact with respiratory secretions. As such, common
everyday activities can play a role in disease spread, including
kissing, sharing utensils and water bottles, and being in close
quarters, such as living in a dormitory.5,6,7
Meningococcal disease can be difficult to diagnose, especially
in its early stages, because symptoms are similar to those of
common viral illnesses, such as the flu.9 More
importantly, meningococcal disease is very serious. The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports fewer than 1,000 cases
occur each year in the U.S.10 Although rare,
meningococcal disease develops rapidly and can claim the life of an
otherwise healthy individual in as little as one day after the
first symptoms appear.4 Of those who survive,
approximately one in five are left with serious medical problems,
including amputated arms, legs, fingers or toes, neurologic damage,
deafness and kidney damage.8
To help protect against meningococcal disease, the CDC
recommends routine vaccination of adolescents aged 11 through 18
years with the meningococcal conjugate vaccination (a single dose
of vaccine should be administered at age 11 or 12 years, with a
booster dose as early as age 16 years for children who receive the
first dose before age 16 years).3
About Voices of Meningitis
NASN and Sanofi
Pasteur collaborate on the Voices of Meningitis campaign,
now in its seventh year, to raise awareness of meningococcal
meningitis and the importance of prevention.
About NASN
The National Association of School Nurses
is a non-profit specialty nursing organization, first organized in
1968 and incorporated in 1977, representing school nurses
exclusively. NASN has more than 15,000 members and 50 affiliates,
including the District of Columbia
and overseas school nurses. The NASN mission is to advance school
nurse practice to keep students healthy, safe and ready to learn.
Please visit us on the Web at www.nasn.org.
About SANOFI
Sanofi, an integrated global healthcare
leader, discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions
focused on patients' needs. Sanofi has core strengths in the field
of healthcare with seven growth platforms: diabetes solutions,
human vaccines, innovative drugs, consumer healthcare, emerging
markets, animal health and the new Genzyme. 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 offers a broad range
of vaccines protecting against 20 infectious diseases. 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:
1. United States Census Bureau. (2013). Age and Sex Composition
in the United States. Retrieved
March 24, 2015, from
census.gov/population/age/data/2012comp.html.
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014). National,
Regional, State, and Selected Local Area Vaccination Coverage Among
Adolescents Aged 13–17 Years — United
States. Retrieved March 24,
2015, from
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6329a4.htm?s_cid=mm6329a4_w.
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011, January 28). Recommendations of the Advisory
Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Morbidity and Mortality
Weekly Report (MMWR). Retrieved May 6,
2015, from
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6003a3.htm.
4. World Health Organization. (2015, February). Meningococcal
Meningitis. Retrieved March 5, 2015,
from
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs141/en/.
5. Stephens, D.S.; Greenwood, B.; Brandtzaeg, P. (2007). Epidemic
Meningitis, Meningococcaemia, and Neisseria Meningitis. Lancet. 369
(9580), 2199.
6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012, March 15). Meningococcal Disease. About: Causes
and Transmission. Retrieved May 7,
2013, from
http://www.cdc.gov/meningococcal/about/causes-transmission.html.
7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014,
April 1). Meningococcal Disease Risk
Factors. Retrieved March 13,
2015, from
http://www.cdc.gov/meningococcal/about/risk-factors.html.
8. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2013, March
22). Prevention and Control of Meningococcal Disease –
Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices
(ACIP). Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). Retrieved
March 13, 2015, from
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr6202a1.htm.
9. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014, April 21). Help Protect Your Preteen and Teen
Against Meningococcal Disease. Retrieved March 3, 2015, from
http://www.cdc.gov/features/meningococcal/.
10. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014,
April 1). Meningococcal Disease
Surveillance. Retrieved March 13,
2015.
http://www.cdc.gov/meningococcal/surveillance/index.html.
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SOURCE Sanofi