Hoosier teens among most well protected in the nation from disea - 14 News, WFIE, Evansville, Henderson, Owensboro

Indiana teens are among the most well protected in the nation from certain infectious diseases, according to the most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Immunization Survey for Teens (NIS-Teen).  Hoosier teens are second in the nation for Tdap coverage (93 percent) and first in the nation for meningococcal vaccine coverage (92 percent).

Tdap vaccine protects against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis, common childhood illnesses. Meningococcal vaccine, although unable to prevent all cases, protects against most types of meningococcal disease.

"These are successes that should be celebrated," said State Health Commissioner Gregory Larkin, M.D. "The rates are clearly a result of the increased immunization requirements implemented in schools over the past few years and they have exceeded our expectations. This is a great thing for our kids."

Indiana is joined by only two other states (New Hampshire and Massachusetts) with a greater than 90 percent rate for Tdap vaccination. Only two states (Indiana and Louisiana) and the District of Columbia have a 90 percent or higher meningococcal vaccine coverage rate. Indiana's rates are well above the national average of 78 percent for Tdap vaccine and 71 percent for meningococcal vaccine.

The Indiana State Department of Health worked with the Indiana Department of Education to change the administrative code for immunization requirements for sixth-grade through 12^th grade students starting with the 2009/2010 school year. Current rates are due in large part to the new requirements, which focused on diseases transmitted in schools, but can also be attributed to interagency partnerships and dedicated state funding over the past two school years.

The NIS-Teen was established to provide an on-going, consistent data set for analyzing vaccination levels among adolescents in the United States and to disseminate this information to interested public health partners. The NIS-Teen provides national and state estimates of vaccination coverage, including new vaccines as they are licensed and recommended for use.

Indiana now has a new tool to help Hoosiers access their immunization records. MyVaxIndiana is a user friendly online concept which allows parents and other individuals to directly access immunization records from any computer through the use of a personal identification number (PIN). PINs can be obtained from healthcare providers and used to log in to the secure website, where users can then download, print or fax records. Each record also displays the CDC recommended immunization schedule. To learn more, visit www.MyVaxIndiana.in.gov.

To learn more about immunization requirements in Indiana, visit the Indiana State Department of Health's website at http://www.in.gov/isdh/17094.htm.

For more information about teen vaccines, visit the CDC's website at http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/who/teens/index.html.