NBA Cares takes vaccination awareness program to Detroit

DETROIT The charitable arm of the NBA is expanding its education program about adolescent vaccinations to Detroit.

Detroit Pistons forward Jonas Jerebko and NBA Legend Bob Lanier teamed up with NBA Cares and the Society for Adolescent Medicine to bring Vaccines for Teens to the Metro Detroit community. Vaccines for Teens is a national multimedia campaign designed to educate teens and their parents about the importance of vaccination against serious and potentially life-threatening diseases.

To tip off the campaign locally, Jerebko and Lanier appeared at the Arts and Technology Academy in Pontiac, Mich., to urge parents of preteens and teens to discuss adolescent vaccinations with their family physicians.

Teens are at risk for influenza disease, both seasonal and the influenza A (H1N1) virus, as well as for other serious infectious diseases such as meningococcal disease (including meningitis) and whooping cough (pertussis). The basketball superstar and local community leaders agree it is more important than ever to help protect preteens and teens in the Metro Detroit area from the potentially life-threatening complications of these diseases.

"Vaccination can help teens grow into healthy adults, and is beneficial for the students at Arts and Technology Academy of Pontiac and for teens throughout the Metro Detroit area," said Jerebko. "In basketball, the best offense is a good defense, and the same holds true for protecting teen health."