Johnson & Johnson Vision’s Acuvue Abiliti Brand Launches Back-to-School Campaign to Address Myopia
Johnson & Johnson Vision, part of Johnson & Johnson MedTech, announced that its Acuvue Abiliti brand is initiating a Back-to-School campaign to inform parents about the growing risk of myopia and encourage them to schedule a comprehensive eye exam for their children ahead of the new school year.
According to the company, the number of people with myopia has approximately doubled during the past 20 years. An average of one in three children in the United States has myopia, with most patients diagnosed between ages 8 and 12 years. Because myopia can develop in earlier years, it is important for children to have annual comprehensive eye exams beginning by age 5. Additionally, up to 40% of students with learning disabilities like dyslexia or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder have misdiagnosed vision issues, which is another reason for children to meet with an eye care professional yearly, noted the press release.
To help raise awareness, the Acuvue Abiliti brand has teamed up with content creators, optometrists, and patients to share their experiences and highlight the importance of yearly eye exams for children.
Johnson & Johnson Vision is also encouraging its employees and others to share their children’s back to school eye exam experience to raise awareness by posting on social media and using #SeeYourAbiliti.
“Eye health is key to children’s academic success and plays a role in early childhood development,” said Monica Jong, OD, PhD, Global Professional Education Lead for Myopia at Johnson & Johnson Vision, in the company’s press release. “In fact, 80% of classroom learning is done visually. This further reinforces the importance of overall eye health and how critical it is to our well-being, even for our children.”
Dr. Jong added, “At Johnson & Johnson Vision, we’re committed to changing the trajectory of myopia, and one step in that direction is driving parents to take action and schedule a yearly comprehensive eye exam.”
One program, noted the company, will take place on August 30. Sight For Kids, a school-based eye health program that provides comprehensive eye health services to low-income schools, will be hosting free comprehensive eye care exams for eligible students at the Keys Gate Charter School in Homestead, Florida. The program will feature a mobile screening unit with local optometrists in coordination with Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired and their Florida Heiken Children’s Vision Program.
Sight For Kids was cofounded in 2002 by the Lions Clubs International Foundation and Johnson & Johnson Vision. The organization has screened more than 42 million students around the world, with over 600,000 students treated and 500,000 pairs of glasses provided to children in need, reported the Johnson & Johnson Vision press release.