Office of Community Outreach, Engagement, and Equity

IT'S NATIONAL IMMUNIZATION AWARENESS MONTH!

This August, we’re promoting National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM), an annual observance that highlights the importance of getting the recommended immunizations, or vaccinations, that protect you against serious diseases throughout your life.

Now is a good time – especially as children return to school – to schedule any routine medical appointments that you and your family may have missed during the COVID-19 pandemic. During these visits, talk to your health care provider about getting caught up on recommended vaccinations. Don’t forget to ask about the COVID-19 vaccines that are available to you.

In this month’s newsletter, we’re sharing tools to help you learn about the vaccines you need, including two that prevent cancer.

Sources: C.D.C., N.C.I., W.H.O.

GET BACK ON TRACK WITH ROUTINE VACCINATIONS

Vaccinations protect you, your family, and your community against potentially serious diseases that often spread easily. That’s why vaccinations are part of routine health visits, starting at birth.

Most children and teens are vaccinated according to the CDC’s recommended timetable, or immunization schedule, which is designed to protect against 16 diseases that can be life-threatening.

Vaccines are tested to ensure they’re safe and effective to receive at the right age. When given on time, vaccines teach our bodies to build an immunity – or defense – against disease-causing germs before we’ve been exposed to a potential infection. It’s important to complete all required doses for complete protection.

To learn which vaccines infants, children, and adolescents need, check out the CDC’s immunization schedules below:

Child Schedule (Birth Through 6 Years)
Pre-Teen and Teen Schedule (Ages 7-18)

Adults Need Vaccines Too

The need for vaccines doesn't end in childhood. Adults need vaccines for protection against diseases related to age, occupation, lifestyle, travel, or health issues. They may need a vaccine missed during childhood or a new shot when childhood vaccine protection wears off.

More than 75% of adults are missing a recommended vaccine.

To find out which adult vaccines you might need, take this quiz, or check out the CDC’s adult immunization schedule. Then talk to your doctor about getting caught up on the vaccines you're missing.

DID YOU KNOW THERE ARE VACCINES THAT PREVENT CANCER?

There are two vaccines that fight cancer-causing infections: the hepatitis B vaccine and the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. The hepatitis B vaccine protects against a virus that infects the liver and can lead to liver cancer. The HPV vaccine protects against a common, sexually transmitted virus that can cause cancers of the vulva, vagina, cervix, penis, and anus – as well as cancers of the tongue and throat.

HEPATITIS B Key Facts

Hepatitis B is a very contagious virus that infects and damages the liver.
Hepatitis B is the leading cause of liver cancer globally. It contributes to an estimated 820,000 deaths every year.
It is spread person to person through blood, semen, or other body fluids.
It can pass from mother to baby during birth.
It can also spread during unprotected sex or through needle-sharing; sharing of razors, toothbrushes, or nail clippers; or unsterile body piercing, tattooing, nail procedures, and medical procedures.
People with hepatitis B might not have symptoms and can infect others without knowing it.
The best way to prevent hepatitis B is to get the hepatitis B vaccine.
In 1991, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended hepatitis B vaccination for all infants as a strategy to stop the spread of hepatitis B virus in the U.S.
Last year, ACIP recommended hepatitis B vaccination for all adults ages 19 to 59 and for adults ages 60 or older with risk factors for hepatitis B.
Talk to your doctor or health care provider about whether you need a hepatitis B vaccine.

UTSW’S HEP B FREE TEAM CONDUCTS COMMUNITY SCREENINGS, CONNECTS TO CARE

UT Southwestern’s Hep B Free team hosts free hepatitis B screenings throughout DFW at churches, community centers, recreation centers, shelters, and other sites. Those who need vaccination or care are connected with local resources. Interpreters are available. For more information and a schedule of upcoming screenings, visit DFW Hep B Free – Home. Or contact the team at dfwhepbfree@gmail.com.

HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS (HPV) Key Facts

HPV is a family of viruses that spreads by skin-to-skin contact, including sexual contact.
Some “low-risk” types of sexually transmitted HPV can cause genital warts.
Several “high-risk” types of sexually transmitted HPV can cause cancer.
HPV is so common that most sexually active people will be infected during their lifetime. Around half of those infections will involve a high-risk HPV that can cause cancer.
HPV vaccination could prevent more than 90% of HPV-related cancers from ever occurring, according to the CDC.
Data collected over more than 15 years show that HPV vaccinations are safe and effective.
The CDC recommends routine HPV vaccination for 11- to 12-year-old boys and girls, but vaccination can start as early as age 9.
The HPV vaccine can also be given through age 26 to those who weren’t fully vaccinated when younger.
The vaccine is approved for men and women ages 27 through 45. However, patients in this age range should talk with their doctor about whether HPV vaccination will benefit them.

SIMMONS CANCER CENTER SPEAKERS BUREAU

Invite our experts to talk about cancer-preventing vaccines at your organization’s next meeting. Contact OfficeofCOEE@utsouthwestern.edu or call 833-722-6237 to schedule a speaker.

You're Invited: Community Events

FREE Mammograms – Moncrief Mobile Screening Clinic

Simmons' Moncrief Cancer Institute is offering free mammograms to women ages 40 and older without insurance. Call 817-288-9970 for more information on qualifications and to schedule your appointment for one of the following Saturdays. Appointments are offered 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

August 13 – YMCA Central

2200 S. Davis Drive

Arlington, TX 76013

August 17 – Arlington Community Health Center

979 N. Cooper Street

Arlington, TX 76011

August 19 – City of Lake Worth Library and Senior Center

7005 Charbonneau Road

Lake Worth, TX 76135

August 20 – New Mount Rose Baptist Church

2864 Mississippi Avenue

Fort Worth, TX 76104

August 27 – Mercy Clinic

800 W. Berry Street

Fort Worth, TX 76110

UTSW Hep B Free – Free Hepatitis B Screening

Attend our Hep B Free team’s next community screening and follow-up at this location:

Dallas Chinese Community Center

400 N. Greenville Avenue #12

Richardson, TX 75081

August 20, 1 to 4 p.m. – Get screened for hepatitis B.

September 3, 2 to 4 p.m. – Get your lab results and linkage to care.

Visit the Office of Community Outreach, Engagement, and Equity to learn more about our mission to reduce the cancer burden in North Texas and promote equity in cancer prevention, care, and outcomes through research, education, and engagement, particularly for racially and ethnically diverse, rural, and other underserved communities.

See how you can join us!

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For newsletter questions, comments, or suggestions, email Renee.Barber@UTSouthwestern.edu.