Sept. 07--Immunizations aren't just for kids. Adults need them, too.
"It's a misconception, I hope to help dispel," said Dr. Sandy Adamson Fryhofer.
Fryhofer, a professor of medicine at Emory School of Medicine, will speak about adult immunizations at the 18th Annual Immunize Georgia Conference on Sept. 15 in Macon. The conference aims to provide the latest information about immunizations to health care providers from around the state.
When it comes to vaccines, most people think of cards with immunizations records for children, which most school districts require for registration, but some shots don't end with high school graduation, Fryhofer said.
"We get so wrapped up in kid immunizations that we forget there are immunizations for adults, too," said Beth Hausauer, immunization coordinator the Coastal Health District which includes Glynn County.
Fryhofer said there are a number of vaccines adults and some adolescents need to be aware of not just for their own health, but for others.
The most common and most popular vaccine available to adults and children is the flu shot. That and other immunizations people should consider are:
Flu: Each year, as many as 50,000 people die from the flu or complications from it. Combined with pneumonia, it's the eighth leading cause of death, Fryhofer said. "And it's preventable," she said.
A flu shot is recommended for everyone older than 6 months old, except those with severe allergic reaction to eggs.
This year a new skin-deep flu vaccine can be administered with a needle only a tenth of an inch long. However, it's only for persons 18 to 64 years old.
"It's another option, especially for those who hate needles," Fryhofer said.
This flu shot delivers vaccine just below the skin, where there is a rich amount of immune cells. Because of this, a lower dose of the vaccine is delivered than in standard flu shots, but protection from the virus is the same, Fryhofer said. The maker of the vaccine will only introduce a limited number of the shots this year, with a full roll-out expected during next year's flu season.
The Coastal Health District, which oversees the Glynn County Health Department, is not sure whether it will have the new method available this season, although some pharmacies and doctors' providers may.
Otherwise, there are three ways to receive the vaccine:
--Flu shot -- The traditional vaccine given as a shot in the arm. It can be taken by anyone older than 6 months old.
--High dose shot -- This delivers a vaccine four times as strong as the regular flu shot. It is recommended for people 65 years old or older. Because the immune system weakens with age, the larger dose provides a boost of protection against the flu
--Nasal-spray -- This vaccine is made with a live, weakened flu virus. It is recommended for persons ages 2 to 49 who are not pregnant.
Tdap: The Tdap vaccine protects against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (whooping cough), and most children complete their first rounds of it by age 6. However, booster shots are for adolescents 11 to 18 years old and people ages 19 to 64. After receiving a boost of the pertussis, a booster Td shot -- vaccine for protection against tetanus and diphtheria -- is recommended for adults every 10 years.
Because pertussis can be severe, if not fatal, for infants, all those who have contact with babies are encouraged to have the vaccine. Studies show that 83 percent of pertussis cases are spread by someone in a household, Fryhofer said.
From the beginning of the year to Aug. 25, 75 cases of whooping cough were reported in the state, immunization coordinator Hausauer said. "That is not abnormal."
During the same period the previous year, there were 128 cases reported. Hausauer credits the decrease to better awareness. "I think more people are hearing about the vaccine and are able to get it," she said.
Meningitis: Meningococcal vaccines protect against most types of meningococcal disease, although they do not prevent all cases. Even though the disease is not common, adolescents are more at risk, and the vaccine is recommended at ages 11 and 12, with a boost 16.
Each year about 1,400 cases of meningitis are reported, with 10 to 15 percent of them resulting in death.
"And in 20 percent, the patient recovers, but suffers serious and sometime permanent injury afterward," Fryhofer said.
HPV: The HPV vaccine helps protect against common types of the human papillomavirus which is transmitted sexually and can cause some cancers of the vulva, vagina and anus, and genital warts.
The three-dose vaccine is recommended for girls ages 11 to 26 and before they become sexually active. Boys and young men may choose to get this vaccine to prevent genital warts and anal cancer.
Hepatitis: Vaccines are only available for Hepatitis A and B, which can cause temporary to permanent liver illness. People who are sexually active, homosexual, handle blood products or use drugs intravenously are most at risk.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the inoculation for children older than 1 year of age, people whose sexual activity puts them at risk, who have chronic liver disease, are being treated with clotting factor concentrates, work within proximity to the virus, or who are living in communities where an outbreak is present.
Chicken pox and shingles: Some other vaccinations for adults to consider are for chicken pox and shingles.
Hausauer says adults who either didn't have chicken pox as a child or don't remember having it, are good candidates for the vaccine. While those who haven't had chicken pox face no higher risk for the disease, they are at a greater risk for complications from the virus, she said.
The same virus that causes chicken pox can also cause shingles, a painful and itching rash that is often temporary. The virus usually stays dormant for years, with half of cases reported in people older than 60 years old. The one-dose vaccine is recommended for those age 60 or older, and seniors can receive it even if they have had an occurrence of shingles, Hausauer said.
The vaccine had been in short supply until recently, but is now available, she said.
While administration of some vaccines depends on age and risk factors, Fryhofer recommends consulting a doctor to see what is recommended, especially if traveling to a foreign country.
"Some places are not as developed as we are and we are at greater risk of getting a disease," she said.
Vaccines are safe, Fryhofer said and they improve health chances for those who receive them and reduce health risks for those around them.
"So roll up your sleeve ... It's helpful," she said.
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