Winners Announced for Tenth Annual Adolescent Immunization Awareness Contest

The Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey (the Partnership), in collaboration with the New Jersey Department of Health, today announced the winners for the tenth annual Protect Me With 3+ adolescent immunization awareness poster and video contest.

"The Protect Me With 3+ contest encourages students to collaborate with their peers while learning about the vaccinations they need to stay healthy," said Mariekarl Vilceus-Talty, President and CEO of the Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey.

The winners and finalists in each category were honored at an awards ceremony and banquet held at the Forsgate Country Club on May 11, 2022. The top three winners in the poster and video categories received prizes and the opportunity for their artistic creations to be distributed during statewide immunization awareness activities.

Middle School Poster Contest Winners:

1st place: Sofia Prado, Franklin Elementary School
2nd place: Kayden Clermont, Franklin Elementary School
3rd place: Katherine Quizhpi, Franklin Elementary School
Honorable Mention: Alex Belusko, Henry Hudson Regional
Honorable Mention: Lilyanna Lou, Master Art Studio

High School Poster Contest Winners:

1st place: Angela Dinh, Marlboro High School
2nd place: Meagan Bourke, Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School
3rd place: Alyson Van Gulick, Vernon Township High School
Honorable Mention: Kayla Patterson, Vernon Township High School
Honorable Mention: Brina Trivedi, Wood-Ridge Junior/Senior High School

High School Video Contest Winners:

1st place: Dylan Kiperman, Michael Jaeger, Daniel Cohen, and Ryan Heller, Marlboro High School
2nd place: Mary Smullen and Jake Faria, Monmouth County Academy of Allied Health and Science
3rd place: Kelly Sullivan and Jennifer Beyn, Monmouth County Academy of Allied Health and Science
Honorable Mention: Lidhu Arakkal and Arvin Angi, Monmouth County Academy of Allied Health and Science
Honorable Mention: Audrey Yue and Jasmin Sawhney, Monmouth County Academy of Allied Health and Science

Teachers and schools with the most eligible classroom submissions in each category were also acknowledged at the ceremony. The winning teachers and schools include:

• Venisha Jordan, Franklin Elementary, Rahway, NJ ? Middle School Poster Category
• Cynthia Pffirman, Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School ? High School Poster Category
• William Werntz, Marlboro High School, Marlboro, NJ ? High School Video Category

"The Department of Health would like to thank all of the students and teachers who participated in the contest this year in support of adolescent immunizations," said Dr. Tina Tan, State Epidemiologist and Assistant Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health. "We look forward to showcasing these informative posters and videos at various health events throughout New Jersey."

The Protect Me With 3+ contest raises awareness about the importance of adolescent immunizations to protect against COVID-19, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (Tdap), human papillomavirus (HPV), meningococcal conjugate, and influenza (flu).

This year, the contest received nearly 200 poster and video entries from middle school and high school students across the state. The winning creations can be viewed at www.protectmewith3.com/winners.

New Jersey students in grades 5-8 were eligible to submit posters, while students in grades 9-12 were eligible to submit either posters or videos. The public voted for their favorite entries from March 29 through April 5, 2022.

About the Partnership

The Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) corporation, licensed by the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH). Its mission is to improve the health of women, children, and families. The Partnership has more than 20 years of experience mounting community-based, consumer-friendly and culturally competent educational programs to parents, caregivers, pregnant women and individuals of child-bearing age. For more information visit, http://partnershipmch.org/.

To learn more about vaccinations, please visit the New Jersey Department of Health's website: http://www.nj.gov/health/cd/vpdp.shtml.