Vaccinations for Adults
A note from Carol Madden,
CFNP
At this time of year there is
a lot of information put out about the influenza vaccine.
However many adults are
surprised when I ask them when their last tetanus/diphtheria shot was
given. It's a commonly held belief that once you are an adult all of
that "shot stuff" is over. NOT!!
The recommendation is for a
tetanus/diphtheria shot every ten years for adults after the initial
series of 3 is completed. This will then protect from tetanus after
relatively clean wounds such as those sustained in the kitchen,
However is a person gets a "dirty" wound such as out in the
garden or corral they should get a tetanus booster if it has been more
than five years since their last Td immunization. Tetanus is our big
concern here because once the signs and symptoms of the disease show
up there isn't a whole lot that can be done for the patient and death
rates are high.
Pneumococcal or pneumonia
vaccine is recommended for all adults over 65 years old. One out of
twenty persons who get pneumococcal pneumonia die from it or one of
its complications.
The vaccine protects against
23 varieties of pneumococcal pneumonia.
Younger persons who have
chronic illnesses such as diabetes, lung disease, liver problems,
heart disease or blood problems are also encouraged to be immunized.
Also, persons whose immune
systems aren't strong should be immunized. This includes persons on
long-term steroid treatment and those being treated for cancer.
The current recommendation is
for one injection at age sixty-five. If the immunization is given
before age 65 for one of the reasons listed above, a second
immunization is recommended 5 years later.
Hepatitis B vaccine is new
within the last 8 or so years.
Newborns receive their first
dose before they are discharged from the hospital, and public schools
in New Mexico require completion of the series for 7th graders.
It is recommended for all
sexually active adults, health-care workers, and anyone with potential
exposure to blood or blood products.
Hepatitis B is contacted in
the same way as AIDS and causes more deaths than AIDS every year but
has received much less publicity. Immunization is accomplished with a
series of three easy immunizations. They are best given with one month
between the first two and then a third immunization five months after
the second. If this schedule is interrupted the next immunization can
be given without restarting the series.
Hepatitis A vaccine is
recommended for anyone traveling to third world countries where
sanitation, water purification and food preparation standards are not
regulated like they are here in the States. That includes our
neighboring Mexico.
It protects from
"infectious hepatitis" or "yellow jaundice" an
infectious disease of the liver that is rarely fatal but does cause a
prolonged illness and recovery period.
The immunization is given in
two shots six months apart.
Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine
is also available for adults who have never had the disease.
When an adult or even a teenager gets chickenpox it is a serious
illness often requiring hospitalization and sometimes resulting in
serious complications.
The immunization is given as a
two shot series spaced 4-8 weeks apart.
All of the above vaccines are
available in our office. Just call to set up a time to receive them.
Coverage of cost is variable
by health plan.
If you are planning travel
outside of the States and even cruises, if you plan to eat any meals
in local restaurants rather than on the ship and do any exploring, it
is worthwhile to check what immunizations are recommended for the
areas where you will be traveling.
The Center for Disease Control
has a web site that is easy to use that can give you this information.
It is http://www.cdc.gov/travel/blusheet.htm
We can write prescriptions for
some of the recommended immunizations or preventatives that are not
available in our office, others are available from the Bernalillo
County Public Health Department.
We always have the above
mentioned vaccines plus MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) and IPV (polio)
on hand.
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