Department of Health Sponsors Children's Art Competition in Recognition of Get Smart about Antibiotics Week

HARRISBURG, Pa., Nov. 24, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Department of Health this past week joined Pennsylvania's Get Smart program to observe "Get Smart about Antibiotics Week," which is an annual week-long occurrence on Nov. 17-23.

Get Smart about Antibiotics Week raises awareness of antibiotic resistance and appropriate antibiotic prescribing and use for both health care professionals and local communities.

As a part of this week of recognition, the Get Smart Program hosted a kids' art competition open to children ages 12 and under in Pennsylvania.  The competition was sponsored by the department and gave children the opportunity to showcase their creativity and help spread the word about the importance of hand hygiene, vaccines, and appropriate antibiotic use.

"The Department of Health was honored to help support this art competition and engage children in activities that promote good hand hygiene practice and vaccinations for seasonal influenza," said Pennsylvania Physician General Dr. Carrie DeLone. "By avoiding unnecessary antibiotics, we can help keep children and all Pennsylvania residents safe from many potential health complications."

Every year as many as 10 million children in the United States are at risk for harmful side effects from antibiotic prescriptions because many infections among children are caused by viruses, which are not cured by antibiotics.

The overuse of antibiotics contributes to the rise in antibiotic resistance which results in at least 23,000 preventable deaths in the United States annually. 

For more information about the Get Smart Program and Get Smart about Antibiotics Week, please visit: http://www.cdc.gov/getsmart/week/overview.html. For more information about the Department of Health, please visit www.health.state.pa.us.

Media contacts: Aimee Tysarczyk, 717-787-1783

Editor's Note: A full list of this year's kids' art competition winners is below:

Ages 10-12
1st place: Sydney Grimm (Dillsburg)
2nd place: Kaeden James Rhoads (Lancaster)

Ages 8-9
1st place: Eliana Maneval (Richfield)
2nd place: Sarah Weinstein (Harrisburg)

Ages 6-7
1st place: Abby Landis (Quarryville)
2nd place: Sophie Swidler (Camp Hill)

Ages 5-6
1st place: Marcus Graeff (Harrisburg)
2nd place: Chloe DeBiase (Berlin)

Ages 4 and under:
1st place: Ellie Beda Vogt (Harrisburg)
2nd place: Vincent Graeff (Harrisburg)

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/department-of-health-sponsors-childrens-art-competition-in-recognition-of-get-smart-about-antibiotics-week-300000415.html

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Health

Related Links

http://www.governor.state.pa.us

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