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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A public health advocacy group says teenagers in Kansas are among the least likely to be vaccinated against the human papillomavirus than they are in other states.
Only 21 percent of teens in Kansas have received all three doses of the vaccine to protect against HPV, which was one of the lowest rates in the country in 2013, according to chairman John Eplee of the Immunize Kansas Coalition.
Kansas also teenagers rank in the bottom quarter for meningococcal meningitis vaccination rates, The Topeka Capital-Journal also (http://bit.ly/1JHmcqJ ) reported.
"There's basically one way to go and that's to improve," Eplee said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that boys and girls be vaccinated at age 11 or 12, before sexual activity begins. Most people who are sexually active at some point in their lives contract at least one form of HPV, according to the CDC.
Eplee said some parents have concerns about vaccinating their children against a sexually transmitted disease, and that some teens are scared by the discomfort of the shot. He adds that not all insurance plans cover the vaccination because it isn't legally required.
Vaccinating for meningococcal meningitis doesn't raise the same concerns as HPV, Eplee said, but only around 56 percent have received at least one dose of the vaccine. Meningitis is an infection of the brain and spinal cord, and sometimes of the bloodstream. It can cause brain damage, hearing loss and neurological problems.
Eplee said the coalition wants to remind doctors why they should discuss vaccinations with teens and parents. The coalition includes hospitals, health insurance companies and several county health departments.
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Information from: The Topeka (Kan.) Capital-Journal, http://www.cjonline.com
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