When preparing preteens and teens across the country
for the new school year, vaccination against meningococcal disease
needs to be at the top of every parent’s back-to-school checklist.
Meningococcal disease is a rare, but serious bacterial infection that
can cause meningitis and take the life of an otherwise healthy child in
just a single day.

Tiffany Thornton, of Disney Channel’s “So Random!”
knows firsthand about the dangers of meningitis. She nearly lost her
life to the disease when she was a teen and has now joined the
National Association of School Nurses’ (NASN) Voices of Meningitis
campaign, an initiative in collaboration with Sanofi Pasteur
that aims to educate parents about the importance of vaccination for
preteens and teens. “I knew nothing about meningitis
before I got sick and spent 10 days in the hospital fighting for my
life—I was lucky to have survived,” said Thornton. “If my parents and
I had known that preteens and teens are at greater risk for meningitis,
I would have been vaccinated. Parents should talk to their child’s school nurse or health-care provider about vaccination to help protect them against this disease.”
Health officials recommend vaccination for preteens and
teens, but nearly half of teens in the U.S. have not been immunized.
This is of concern as a new national telephone survey shows
that the majority of preteens and teens engage in activities that put
them at risk of meningitis, like sharing water bottles and kissing.
“Given meningitis is spread through common, everyday activities,
it is difficult to help protect teens through education alone.

“Ensuring they are vaccinated is the best way to help protect preteens and teens from the disease,” said Linda Davis-Alldritt MA, BSN, RN, FNASN, President of the NASN.

About 10 percent of the 1,000 to 2,600 Americans who get meningococcal meningitis each year will die. Of those who survive, one in five is left with serious medical problems, including amputation of limbs, brain damage,
deafness and organ damage. Preventing meningitis is particularly
important because the disease moves quickly and can be hard to recognize, especially in its early stages, because symptoms may be similar to those of the flu.

Vaccination has been available for years and is a safe and effective
way to help protect against meningitis. Visit www.VoicesOfMeningitis.
org or www.nasn.org for more information, or the Northeast Texas Public Health District at www.healthyeasttx.org.

Good news: Teen girls are embracing being active,and athletics is the leading activity
they participate in at school. Today, 65 percent of high school girls participate in a school sport.
The top 10 are track and field, soccer, tennis, basketball, volleyball, softball, cross-country, swimming,
cheerleading and dance team.

Survey Results
A recent survey conducted by Varsity Brands found that a majority of female teens say playing on a
sport/spirit team makes them happier (78 percent), builds their overall
confidence (73 percent) and helps relieve stress (69 percent). Participating in athletics helps
teen girls make new friends (86 percent) and gives them a built-in support system (65 percent).
The survey also found that cheerleaders are more likely than general teens (57 percent vs. 46
percent) to hold a leadership position in/out of school, to be less shy (26 percent vs. 19 percent), and to
be more comfortable speaking in public (64 percent vs. 54 percent) and 81 percent have grade point
averages of 3.5 or higher. Other Advantages “In addition to helping them
keep fit, participation in athletics gives teen girls a variety of interpersonal
benefits and teaches them to enjoy healthy competition,” said Nicole Lauchaire, vice
president, Corporate Marketing and Communications for Varsity Brands, the leading resource for
cheerleading camps, competitions and apparel. “Team athletics like cheerleading give teens a social
outlet, confidence boost and stress
relief.”

Many good reasons exist for teen girls to participate on a cheer team:
• They become part of a team of school leaders.
• As some of the most visible members of the student body, cheerleaders can have a positive
influence on others.
• Girls learn new skills and stay in shape through a mix of conditioning, skills training,
dance and cardio.
• Cheerleading builds lifelong character traits such as confidence, leadership, positive energy
and motivational skills.

The Parents’ Part
Parents can take active roles in selecting the right cheer program
for their kids. Here are some questions to ask:
• Is the coach certified through the American Association of
Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators (AACCA) and has the
school conducted the appropriate background checks?
• Does the coach adhere to AACCA practice and performance
guidelines?
• Does the coach properly balance practice time between athletic
training and spirit leadership instruction?
• Does the squad have an emergency plan in place?

Learn More
For more information on cheerleading benefits and results from the Varsity Teen Girl Survey, visit
www.varsity.com.