DPH, Prisma Health Officials Speak to Importance of Vaccinations During Immunization Awareness Month Event

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Aug. 19, 2024

COLUMBIA, S.C. — As part of National Immunization Awareness Month, the South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) and Prisma Health held a press conference today focusing on the importance of immunizations that protect people of all ages from many different diseases and certain types of cancer.

Vaccines are safe and effective at preventing potentially life-threatening diseases in children and adults. This year’s event focused on Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends for all 11- to 12-year-olds.

The HPV vaccine has the potential to prevent more than 90% of HPV-attributable cancers, which is why it is critical for children to get vaccinated for HPV. HPV causes more than 9 out of every 10 cases of cervical cancer, as well as many vaginal, vulvar, penile, anal and oropharynx (mouth and throat) cancers.

“Nearly everyone will get HPV at some point in their lives,” said Dr. Edward Simmer, interim DPH director. “Starting the vaccination series today will help protect your child from the cancers caused by HPV later in their lives. Vaccines protect your child before they are exposed to an infection. That’s why we give HPV vaccination earlier rather than later, to protect them long before they are ever exposed.”

Although South Carolina has increased HPV vaccination coverage in recent years, coverage remains lower than the national average. In South Carolina, 70% of 13-17-year-olds have received one dose of the HPV vaccine, compared to 76% across the US; and 54% of South Carolinians aged 13-17 are up-to-date with HPV vaccination compared to 63% of children the same age in the US. Children who get the vaccine series before the age of 15 only need two doses. After they turn 15, three doses are needed.

During the event, DPH announced that the Medical University of South Carolina's (MUSC) Hollings HPV Vaccination Van was selected by DPH and the S.C. Immunization Coalition as the Association of Immunization Managers’ 2024 South Carolina Immunization Champion Award winner. The vaccination van, which was on site during the press conference, travels across South Carolina to make HPV vaccinations easily accessible to rural and medically underserved communities.

As important as vaccines are for children, adults benefit from vaccines as well. Keeping up-to-date with vaccines for shingles, pneumococcal pneumonia, mpox, flu, COVID-19, RSV and others can also protect your health and that of those around you. Many adult vaccines are recommended at certain ages or for certain risk groups, so we recommend checking with your healthcare provider to determine which vaccines are right for you.

"Pediatric immunization is crucial for safeguarding the health of our children and the broader community,” said Dr. Anna-Kathryn Burch, Division Director, Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Prisma Health Children’s Hospital – Midlands. “Unfortunately, we’ve seen a troubling resurgence of diseases like measles and whooping cough—illnesses that were once eradicated—largely due to declining vaccination rates.

"Immunizations protect not only the individual child but also prevent the spread of these dangerous diseases to others, especially those who are too young or too vulnerable to be vaccinated. As a physician, it is heartbreaking to care for children suffering from preventable diseases."

It’s important to stay current on all recommended immunizations. Talk to your health care provider or your child’s pediatrician to make sure you are up to date on your shots.

To view the full press conference, visit DPH’s Facebook page.

Visit prismahealth.org for the latest information from Prisma Health.

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