Diplomate, Board Certification of Emergency Medicine
Chairman, Department of Emergency Medicine Ma'ayenei Hayeshua
Hospital
Adult vaccinations are important. The flu virus has the
ability to change itself with ease, so a flu shot every year
is recommended for health professionals and those at risk. As
flu can be debilitating -- four years ago more than half of
the labor force in Holland was in bed due to the flu -- and
because some cases do go bad -- 35000 people died of flu last
year worldwide -- I think it is a good idea to get this shot.
It takes about three weeks to develop immunity, so this shot
is generally given during the autumn.
If you do not have a spleen or one that works, then you are
at big risk for infection especially pneumoccocus; a
bacterium that causes pneumonia and meningitis. There is an
adult vaccine and it is given also to those with chronic
disease, and those over 65. It is given only once.
Tetanus and diphtheria are not related to rust as we said
before. Vaccinations are given every ten years, or once after
the initial series, depending on whether you follow the
American or the Canadian Medical Associations. If you got the
initial series, there is never a need to get this shot
emergently.
Hepatitis A vaccine is also a GlaxoSmithKline product and
again, although it may show bias, I recommend this vaccine.
Hepatitis A is rarely dangerous, but can put a patient in bed
for three weeks with weakness -- a scenario that most of us
can ill afford. Hepatitis B is dangerous and the vaccine is
needed for those who are healthcare workers, dialysis
patients, or others exposed to body fluids.
The meningitis vaccine is given to those who live in close
quarters such as in dormitories where epidemics can spread
fast. The Israeli army gives this immunization routinely.
The chicken pox shot -- another GlaxoSmithKline product -- is
recommended for adults who never had the disease. We
mentioned that the disease is more dangerous in adults, and
you should know that people with shingles can spread this
disease. Shingles is a painful rash that occurs on the part
of the skin that is controlled by one nerve. What happens is
that after someone has chicken pox as a youngster, the virus
hides in the body buried in a nerve and runs down the nerve
when there is a chance, that is, when immunity is weaker such
as in the elderly. Antivirals work for this disease.
Yellow fever, cholera, typhoid vaccines are hard to get and
are for travelers to areas where these diseases are rampant.
The smallpox vaccine was recently recommended for health care
workers due to bioterrorism. The vaccine can have some bad
side effects, and they are working on improving this
situation. An anthrax vaccine exists but not in enough
quantity.
May Hashem deal with our enemies so that these last two
vaccinations will not be necessary. Write me in care of the
Yated.
GlaxoSmithKline is the sponsor of this column.
