In the eleventh installment of the Immunology 101 Series, Aimee will explain the basics of the infectious disease mumps and the science behind the vaccines available for mumps.
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One Mother’s Story: The Importance of HPV Vaccination
This week of National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM), Aug. 22-28, focuses on the important role vaccines play in protecting preteens and teens against serious diseases.
By Kimberly Graham
With three kids a little too close in age, keeping track of who needs which vaccines and when has never been my strong suit. Fortunately, now that they’re getting older, they need fewer shots, and I need fewer post-doctor visit bribes.
My second grader was seemingly in the clear until at least middle school, but this summer, our family’s health history changed. So did my thinking about HPV vaccines, which can be given to girls and boys as early as age 9 as a way to prevent certain kinds of cancers.
My mom, a 56-year-old bookkeeper, was diagnosed with oral cancer in late May. A biopsy later confirmed that her case—a tumor on the back her tongue that had spread to lymph nodes in her throat—was caused by a strain of HPV. [Read more…]
A Few Pages from the Life Notes of Amy Purdy at S.O.U.P!
By Jordan Savold, CCIC Communications and Research Fellow
To kick off the 8th annual S.O.U.P! (Shots Offer Unrivaled Protection) fundraiser for the Colorado Children’s Immunization Coalition (CCIC), Amy Purdy posed an intriguing question:
“If your life was a book and you were the author, how would you want your story to go?”
Shots for Tots and Teens in Aurora Gets Families Ready for a Healthy School Year
By Jordan Savold, Communications and Research Fellow at the Colorado Children’s Immunization Coalition
If you happen to drive by Fire Station #2 in Aurora on a certain Saturday of the month, you might see a long line of families extending from the entry way. Once a month, immunizations are provided at little to no cost at this fire station through Shots for Tots and Teens program to help ensure that everyone has an opportunity to live a safe, healthy life free from vaccine-preventable disease.
On a recent Saturday, I had the privilege of attending the event myself. Here’s what happened.
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National Immunization Survey-Teen Results Breakdown: What Does This Mean For Colorado Teens?
The latest National Immunization Survey-Teen report was released on July 31, and we asked Lynn Trefren, RN, MSN, Immunization Branch Chief at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to help explain the data and what this means for Colorado teens and their parents.