Infants and shots: A smart investment in a child’s life

Rv, Hib, DtaP. To most of us, these abbreviations are gibberish. But to health professionals and to parents and guardians of infants and toddlers, they spell protection.

By the time a child turns 2, she or he should have received a battery of immunizations, including the three listed — which represent vaccines for rotavirus (RV), Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DtaP). On the list of recommended vaccines are those that protect against diseases you may have thought were eradicated, never heard of or assumed don’t cause kids to get sick. But if your child receives the full range of recommended immunizations, she or he will be protected against a wide range of potentially deadly conditions, including serious liver diseases, the flu, whooping cough and measles.

One reason people think some of these diseases aren't a threat anymore is the success of immunization campaigns. But as we have seen with mumps, when immunizations are skipped, diseases can reappear and affect entire communities.

As this is National Infant Immunization Week, now is the perfect time to learn more about protecting children from infectious disease. Visit the event's Web site for vaccination schedules, information resources and frequently asked questions.

Nation Approves First H5N1 Vaccine for People

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration this week approved the nation’s first vaccine for people against the potentially fatal H5N1, or avian flu, virus.

The vaccine may provide early limited protection to individuals during a flu pandemic until a vaccine tailored to the particular pandemic strain could be developed and produced, FDA officials said. A clinical study found that 45 percent of individuals who received two doses of the vaccine developed antibodies at a level that is expected to reduce the risk of getting avian flu.

The vaccine is intended to immunize people from 18 to 64 years old who could be at higher risk of exposure to the H5N1 flu virus contained in the vaccine. Unlike the mild to serious symptoms caused by seasonal flu, the symptoms of the H5N1 virus are far more severe and can quickly cause life-threatening complications such as pneumonia and the failure of organs.

Global pharmaceutical firm Sanofi-Aventis manufactured the vaccine, which the U.S. government is stockpiling for distribution by public health officials in the event of a pandemic. The vaccine will not be sold to the public.

"The threat of an influenza pandemic is, at present, one of the most significant public health issues our nation and world faces," said FDA Commissioner Andrew C. von Eschenbach, MD. "The approval of this vaccine is an important step forward in our protection against a pandemic."

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is working on measures to spare vaccine doses to help produce more treatments for individuals, and the agency has developed rapid diagnostics tests for H5 strains that shorten testing times,said HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt. "We have the opportunity to be the first generation that prepares for a pandemic, and we are working to meet that challenge," Leavitt said,

You may find more resources to help you, your family and your community prepare for pandemic flu at www.getreadyforflu.org. You may find more information on government pandemic preparedness efforts at www.pandemicflu.gov.

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: Would you take this vaccine? Us the comment feature below to let us know your thoughts?

See Related posts:
What does H5N1 mean?
Vaccine Against Avian Flu Just The Begining

Older adults need more than a flu shot

One of our staff members here at the American Public Health Association told us a story recently about her 72-year-old father and the flu. Last winter, after babysitting for his 8-year-old granddaughter, he noticed he feeling achy and congested. He'd received his flu shot, so he assumed that the symptoms would quickly disappear. But within a short period of time, his flu symptoms progressed to pneumonia and delirium set in. He spent the next two weeks in the hospital. Luckily, he recovered.

You may often hear older adults say they received a flu shot, but got the flu anyway. The fact is that while flu shots don't work as well at preventing flu in older adults compared to younger ages, the shots do reduce the likelihood of death or hospitalization from flu. Older adults are at an increased risk of complications when they get the flu. Older adults are also more likely to have chronic conditions, weaker immune systems and poor cough reflexes, making it more difficult for them to recover when infected with flu viruses.

To prevent complications from the flu, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that older adults also get a pneumococcal vaccination at the same time they get a flu shot. While a nasal flu vaccine is available, it is not recommended for people older than age 49, as it contains a live virus.

In the case of our staff member's father there were a few things he could've done differently that might have kept him out of the hospital:

* He could have called his doctor within the first 48 hours of his flu symptoms. There are some treatments available that can reduce the severity of flu symptoms and speed recovery; however, treatment must begin within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms in order to be effective.

* He could have asked his granddaughter to wash her hands every time she came in the house after school. While children can be a delight for doting grandparents, they are also infection magnets, and can easily transmit the flu to older adults, even if kids are not sick themselves. Handwashing is an easy, highly effective way to keep grandparents safe from the unintentional infections of children.

* He could have been aware that his chronic condition might make recovery difficult. The man at the center of the story has Parkinson’s disease, making recovery from the flu more difficult. Knowing this, he could have gone to bed sooner to rest, increased his fluid intake (lack of fluids caused his delirium) and avoided alcohol. Had he taken these precautions, his recovery might not have been so difficult.

While precautions for flu such as handwashing and getting flu shots are the same for adults of any age, older adults need to be even more vigilant by contacting their doctor and taking extra care at the first sign of symptoms. While some older adults may not be able to avoid the flu completely, in many cases they can keep it from being deadly.

Health centers play a critical role in managing chronic diseases during disasters

Today's first guest blog entry is by Dan Hawkins, vice president for federal, state and public affairs with the National Association of Community Health Centers

The National Association of Community Health Centers is proud to sponsor National Public Health Week 2007. This year’s theme, "Take the First Step! Preparedness and Public Health Threats: Addressing the Unique Needs of the Nation’s Vulnerable Populations" is one of particular importance to America’s health centers and the 16 million people they serve.

Health centers have a long history of directing help where it is most needed. Because they are built from the bottom up, not the top down, and are run by patient-majority community boards, they are especially effective in targeting the immediate needs of vulnerable communities — even those challenged by disaster. A 2006 article in the journal Health Affairs noted that health centers "may well be situated in some communities to be a first line of response to public health emergencies." That's because they have the existing networks on the ground to facilitate outreach to diverse populations and cultures.

We may not know when the next disaster will strike, but what we do know is that it is often the poor and the most vulnerable who are disproportionately affected because they lack the resources, and even the transportation, to flee disaster zones. Nowhere was the divide between the haves and have-nots more evident than in New Orleans immediately after Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005. Indeed, the lessons of Katrina have rewritten the conventional rules of disaster response for the future. The most startling lesson is that the most pressing and immediate needs of the evacuee population were not for emergency triage, but for primary health care services. In fact, a recent report, "Legacy of a Disaster: Health Centers and Hurricane Katrina," revealed that many of the evacuees required treatment for chronic diseases, such as diabetes or hypertension, that had worsened because the evacuees had fled their homes without their medications. Many people did not know where to get help and communications problems on the ground added to the challenge of providing help and treatment.

Community outreach in times of disaster is a critical step in a national disaster response plan. Health centers stand ready to help local public health and emergency preparedness leaders spread the word about the importance of disaster preparedness in every community.

Preparedness with Chronic Diseases

Today's second guest blog entry is by Sloane Frost, a student at Cornell University who is currently interning with the American Public Health Association

There are 20.8 million type 1 diabetics in America, according to the American Diabetes Association, and most of us are likely without a sound emergency plan.

I was diagnosed with diabetes a week before my 15th birthday. So like all other high school students, I didn’t want to deal with this extra burden. But after having gone through some close calls of my own, I know how important it is to have a back-up plan in case of an emergency.

That is one of the goals of this year’s National Public Health Week — to help people with chronic illnesses prepare for emergencies, either natural or manmade. The information I have read about the possible impact on chronically ill people such as myself is staggering, and it has motivated me to maintain an emergency kit of my own.

Before I left for college, my uncle gave me a backpack full of supplies to use in the case of an emergency. He packed it tight with all the necessities: a blanket, canned food, water, money, a heavy-duty whistle, flashlight, batteries and contact information for practically every federal agency that was relevant. I’ve added to that the basic supplies that I would need for my diabetes, such as test strips, alcohol wipes, extra lancets, reservoirs, syringes, test sticks and glucose tablets. It’s impossible to keep an insulin vial that will never go bad, so I replace it every month. That check is a good way to maintain the other supplies in my bag and ensure that I always know how to access it. All the materials on disaster preparedness say that you should at least maintain this kit as well as an emergency evacuation plan and other relevant preparations for your individual situation.

I would encourage everyone, regardless of whether or not you have a chronic illness, to make a similar kit. Not only is it tremendous insurance, but I personally know that I takes some of the stress out of my life knowing a safety net is there. Preparing for an emergency could have the same effect for you and your family.