Young Savannah Voices journalist Bobby Battle interviews Coastal Health District Immunization Coordinator Beth Hausauer about immunizations while Battle's Young Savannah Voices counterpart, Sterling Smith, records the interview.

While most Savannah students are still enjoying the lazy days of summer, rising high school senior Bobby Battle is on a mission to educate his peers and the general public.

Battle is part of Young Savannah Voices, a group of young would-be journalists who dedicate part of their summer vacation to honing their communication skills and learning more about important health topics such as immunizations. The Chatham County Health Department kicked off National Immunization Awareness Month by hosting Young Savannah Voices for an interview and tour of the health department's immunization clinic.

"This is a great opportunity for us to talk to the youth of our community about the importance of immunizations so that they have a better understanding of how and why immunizations work to protect all of us," said Beth Hausauer, Coastal Health District immunization coordinator.

Battle, along with several of his Young Savannah Voices counterparts, came to the Chatham County Health Department equipped with pens, notebooks, cameras and questions. Battle's interview with Hausauer about immunizations was videotaped and later posted on the group's website and online health magazine, www.youngsavannahvoices.com.

Young Savannah Voices (L to R):  Anne Roise (advisor), Sterling Smith, Bobby Battle, Takyah Berry, Tiera Brown and Coastal Health District Immunization Coordinator Beth Hausauer.

Young Savannah Voices is a two-week career development camp sponsored by the city of Savannah, Savannah State University, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Youth learn about diseases prevalent in their community and interview health professionals, family members, and neighbors to gain a better understanding of medical issues. The camp culminated with a presentation to the community which included a viewing of their short documentaries.

Following the interview, Hausauer accompanied the group to the health department's immunization clinic where they took pictures of a toddler getting ready for her vaccinations and of a high school student receiving his back-to-school hearing, vision, and dental exam.

"I think it was a great experience for these students to be able to ask questions and see how the process works," said Hausauer. "They got a real sense of public health's role in the immunization process and we were happy to be able to share that with them."

-Story by Sally Silbermann, Risk Communicator/Public Information Officer, Coastal Health District 9-1 and Diane Z. Weems, M.D., Interim District Health Director