VAX@16 Initiative

Following high rates in infancy, meningococcal disease peaks again in ages 16-23 years. This can be prevented.

What is VAX@16?

Unity®️ Consortium has developed VAX@16 to support healthcare providers to make strong vaccine recommendations, thereby increasing positive vaccine outcomes. UNITY’s VAX@16 campaign aims to increase awareness among healthcare providers of the imperative to ensure 16-year-olds are up to date on their vaccines, including Meningococcal ACWY (MenACWY), Meningococcal B (MenB), COVID-19 and flu (seasonally).

VAX@16 includes ready to use tools and resources for healthcare provider organizations to integrate into their practices including case studies and template communications. The VAX@16 initiative has been developed to include a broad scope of educational materials to support and guide clinical decision-making with the goal of avoiding missed opportunities for adolescent vaccination. The program features videos, posters, infographics and more; many in both English and Spanish for bilingual audiences.

What are the Benefits?

Meningococcal disease can be severe, leading to brain injury, limb amputation, and in some instances, death. In the US, most cases in ages 16-23 years are caused by serogroups B, C, W, and Y. To protect against all these vaccine-preventable meningococcus serogroups, it is necessary for teens to receive both MenACWY and MenB vaccines. Providers have an opportunity to recommend MenACWY and discuss the value of Men B at the same time, based on current immunization recommendations for 16 year olds.

Initiative Resources

To support strong recommendations and acceptance for adolescent vaccines, UNITY has developed the following resources through the VAX@16 Initiative:

Dr. Kristen Feemster, MD, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Physician from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health discusses avoiding missed opportunities for immunizations at annual check-ups and general wellness visits.

Thumb-Protecting-Young-Adults--Vaccinate-at-16-Years-Old

Dr. Kristen Feemster, MD: Protecting Young Adults-Vaccinate at 16 Years Old

Raising awareness of the value of vaccines: Expert, Dr. Paul Offit discusses the importance of adolescent vaccination

Protecting Against Meningococcal Disease by Vaccinating

L.J. Tan, MS, PhD, Chief Strategy Officer of the Immunization Action Coalition discussed best ways to engage parents and adolescents on the importance of getting immunizations.