Immunizations protect against 'route' diseases

  • Published
  • By Col. John McCafferty
  • 71st Medical Group
Vance Air Force Base, Okla. --  An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
As a child, I had measles, German measles, mumps and chickenpox. I still vividly remember the chickenpox, which I had as a teenager. I was miserable and felt like I'd have to get better to die for a couple of days.
At that time, epidemics of these diseases frequently swept the United States, making millions ill every year.
These so-called "routine childhood illnesses" killed hundreds every year and caused serious complications such as birth defects, deafness and mental retardation to thousands. We now have safe and effective vaccines to prevent these illnesses, so your children can be protected from them.
Immunizations are not just for children. Healthy adults should get immunized against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (whooping cough) every 10 years. The recommendation for adults to be immunized against whooping cough is new, based on more and more adult cases of this disease. In fact, recently there was an outbreak of whooping cough among U.S. military members and their families stationed in Germany. With influenza season approaching, most people should get this year's flu vaccine. It is mandatory for military people and recommended for all children ages 6 months to 5 years and all adults 50 and older. For people between ages 5 and 50, the flu vaccine is recommended if you have medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes or immune system deficiency. You can discuss this with your doctor or nurse if you have questions.
Flu vaccine is also recommended for anyone who lives with or cares for children under 5 years old or adults over 50. This means most people over six months of age should get the vaccine for one reason or another.
Flu vaccine is recommended for mothers-to-be throughout pregnancy. Immunizing the mother is the only way to protect the baby for the first six months after birth, as the vaccine is not licensed for infants less than six months old.
Flu vaccine comes in two forms -- nasal spray and shot. The spray is for healthy people from age 5 to 49. It is generally available sooner and is thought to provide better immunity. The shot can be given to anyone over 6 months of age and to persons with health problems or pregnancy.
More lives were saved and more diseases and disabilities were prevented by immunizations than any other advance in medicine. We continue to make progress in this area; two important new vaccines were recently approved -- one for rotavirus and another for human papilloma virus.
Rotavirus is a common viral infection of the intestinal tract which causes abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting, mostly in children under 5 years old. It is highly infectious and spreads easily wherever there are young children. In the United States, there are approximately 2.7 million rotavirus infections per year. Every year, the infections lead to 400,000 doctor visits and a quarter of a million emergency room visits. Rotavirus leads to the hospitalization of 60,000 infants a year, with dozens dying. Severe and lethal infections generally affect children under 3 years old.
The new vaccine against rotavirus is called RotaTeq. It is a three dose series, given at 2, 4 and 6 months of age. It is given orally and can be given during well-baby visits along with other childhood immunizations. This vaccine has shown to be 95-percent effective in preventing hospitalization because of rotavirus. No "catch up" is recommended for children who have not started the series by age 3 months.
There are dozens of different strains of HPV, which infects the skin and mucous membranes. Some of the strains cause common or plantar warts; other strains can lead to abnormal Pap smears and cervical cancer.
A new vaccine, GARDASIL, is highly effective in preventing infection of the most common strains of HPV associated with abnormal Pap smears and cervical cancer. It protects against strains that cause 70 percent of cervical cancer. This is an exciting development because it is the first human vaccine that can prevent a form of cancer. It's recommended for 11-year-old girls. It's a three-shot series given over six months. A "catch up" vaccine is recommended for all girls and young women from ages 12 through 26. If you are in this age range, the vaccine is recommended even if you have already had an abnormal Pap smear.
If you have questions, parents can discuss these and other vaccines for their children at well baby or school physical visits. Adults can discuss these issues at their next wellness visit.