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"As August arrives and parents start to think about back to schoolpreparation, it's very important that children get their recommendedimmunizations," said Peter Bowers, M.D., medical director for Anthem BlueCross and Blue Shield in Connecticut. Bowers noted that immunizations do notstop after high school, as many colleges now require vaccinations againstmeningococcal disease.
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In addition, there are some new vaccines that have become recentlyavailable for adolescents. The new human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine isrecommended for girls ages 11-12 years. The HPV vaccine is a 3-dose seriesadministered over a six month period. Whooping cough (pertussis) is a vaccinegiven to young children, but immunity fades over time. The best protection forteens and pre-teens is a booster shot of Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria andpertussis) that protects against these serious diseases. Anthem providescoverage for most vaccines. Policyholders should confirm their specificbenefits by calling the toll free number listed on their insurance card.
According to Dr. Bowers, adolescents (11 to 12-year-olds) are notimmunized as regularly as young children (infant to 2 year-olds) becauseadolescents don't visit a physician's office as frequently.
"The opportunity for medical staff to determine if a vaccination is due isnot present as often with adolescents as it is with infants and youngchildren. That's why it is important for parents to take an active role inchecking about their children's immunization status," explained Bowers.
Preventive health guidelines, including a complete recommendedimmunization schedule, are available for both members and non-members atMyHealth@Anthem located at www.anthem.com.
About Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Connecticut
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Connecticut is an operatingsubsidiary of WellPoint, Inc. (NYSE: WLP). WellPoint's mission is to improvethe lives of the people it serves and the health of its communities.WellPoint, Inc. is the largest health benefits company in terms of commercialmembership in the United States. Through its nationwide networks, the companydelivers a number of leading health benefit solutions through a broadportfolio of integrated health care plans and related services, along with awide range of specialty products such as life and disability insurancebenefits, pharmacy benefit management, dental, vision, behavioral healthbenefit services, as well as long term care insurance and flexible spendingaccounts. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, WellPoint is an independentlicensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and serves its membersas the Blue Cross licensee for California; the Blue Cross and Blue Shieldlicensee for Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine,Missouri (excluding 30 counties in the Kansas City area), Nevada, NewHampshire, New York (as Blue Cross Blue Shield in 10 New York Citymetropolitan and surrounding counties and as Blue Cross or Blue Cross BlueShield in selected upstate counties only), Ohio, Virginia (excluding theNorthern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.), Wisconsin; and throughUniCare. Additional information about WellPoint is available atwww.wellpoint.com.
SOURCE Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Connecticut
