Save the Date! This one day conference, 'Vaccine Preventable Diseases:  Facts of Vaccine Science, Safety, and Surveillance' will be held on Monday, July 26th, 2010. The conference will happen simultaneously in three locations in the state- Montclair State University, Monmouth University and Cumberland County College. 

Many people between the ages of 11 and 19 think they are done with their vaccinations. They think vaccinations are just for little kids. But guess what? There are millions of people between the ages of 11 and 19 who need vaccinations to prevent whooping cough, tetanus, diphtheria, hepatitis B, hepatitis A, chickenpox, measles, mumps, rubella, polio, influenza, meningococcal disease, pneumococcal disease, and human papillomavirus infection. Are you one of them? Getting immunized is a lifelong, life-protecting job. Make sure you and your healthcare provider keep your immunizations up to date. Check to be sure you’ve had all the vaccinations you need.

This new Web site from the American Academy of Pediatrics provides parents with up to date immunization information, news, and vaccine schedule, as well as vaccine safety tips and state specific information pages.

A brochure for parents titled, Seasonal and 2009 H1N1 Flu: For Parents Who Have Children or Adolescents With High-Risk Medical Conditions is now available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The brochure provides specific information regarding what children are considered to be at risk including those with asthma; neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions including disorders of the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerve, and muscle such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy (seizure disorders), stroke, intellectual disability (mental retardation), moderate to severe developmental delay, muscular dystrophy, or spinal cord injury; chronic lung disease (such as cystic fibrosis); heart disease (such as congenital heart disease and congestive heart failure); blood disorders (such as sickle cell disease); endocrine disorders (such as diabetes mellitus); kidney disorders; liver disorders; metabolic disorders (such as inherited metabolic disorders and mitochondrial disorders); weakened immune system due to disease or medication (such as people with HIV or AIDS, cancer, or those on chronic steroids); receiving long-term aspirin therapy for chronic disorders; and/or pregnancy.

The topic of influenza then became front page news in the spring of 2009 with the declaration of a pandemic with the novel swine-origin influenza A (H1N1) virus. Although widespread, this virus has generally been causing mild disease. The possibility that it could become more virulent (and potentially resistant to antivirals) is of great concern and has lead to preparations for the possibility of producing and distributing 600 million doses of vaccine against this virus in the U.S. Suddenly, the importance of influenza vaccine became much more obvious to all.

Researchers long ago rejected the theory that vaccines cause autism, yet many parents don't believe them. Can scientists bridge the gap between evidence and doubt?

AAP NJ and PCORE, in partnership with the Childhood Influenza Immunization Coalition, have created a Web site with posters, brochures, and information about the seriousness of influenza and the importance of annual influenza vaccination. All materials are free to download.
 

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Childhood Immunization Support Program, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), created the Childhood Immunization Support Program to improve the nation's immunization delivery system by developing an infrastructure within AAP to support its members and provide education on immunization-related issues.