American Idol Former Finalist, Brooke White, Helps Teens Cast Flu Preve...( With Only 16 Percent of Parents Aware...),Health

With Only 16 Percent of Parents Aware of the CDC's Flu Vaccination Recommendations, New Contest Encourages Their Teens to Join Education Effort

NEW YORK, Feb. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- No teenager wants their Facebook status to read "Home with the flu," when their friends are all out having fun. That is why singer/songwriter and former American Idol finalist, Brooke White, is teaming up with infectious diseases specialist and author, Dr. Harley Rotbart, and The Clorox Company to launch "I Don't Want to Miss...," a national contest that puts teens in the spotlight to talk about flu education and prevention and the special events in their life they don't want to miss.

This year, for the first time ever, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expanded flu vaccination recommendations to include all children from six months through 18 years old, but a new survey shows that only 21 percent of teens within this recommendation actually received a flu vaccination this winter. According to the CDC, in some areas of the country, flu activity can occur as late as May, indicating it is not too late for parents to get their teens vaccinated.

"Last year, during American Idol we couldn't imagine missing our shot at becoming the next American Idol because of the flu," said Brooke White, singer/songwriter and former American Idol finalist. "With so few parents and teens aware of the CDC's recommendations, I want to encourage them to adopt healthy habits and simple prevention steps so they don't miss out on all the exciting moments in their lives."

Your Chance to Audition

The heart of the "I Don't Want to Miss..." program is a Public Service Announcement (PSA) contest that lets teens do the talking. Teens can submit video entries at www.IDontWanttoMiss.com, highlighting what they don't
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