Tuesday, April 28, 2009

La importancia de tener las vacunas al día


Today's blog entry is an article by Diego Chaves-Gnecco MD, MPH, SALUD PARA NIÑOS Program Director & Founder in honor of National Infant Immunization Week.To read the article in English, you can use an online translator.


Es extremamente importante que todo adulto o niño tenga todas sus vacunas recomendadas al día. Sin embargo, desafortunadamente esta afirmación no se cumple. Dependiendo de la edad, grupo de la comunidad a la que pertenece la persona o el niño y la vacuna de la que se esté hablando, sólo 7 u 8 de cada 10 personas o niños tienen sus vacunas al día. Aunque el número parecería ser bueno y alto, no es ideal. El ideal sería que 10 de cada 10 niños o adultos tuvieran todas sus vacunas al día.

El hecho de que esto no se cumpla afecta no solamente a la persona o niño que no tiene todas sus vacunas en orden, sino que también afecta a toda la comunidad donde este niño o adulto vive. En la medida que cada vez más personas no tengan sus vacunas al día, corremos el riesgo de pronto volver a ver enfermedades de las cuales no oíamos hace ya muchos años.

El mundo de hoy se hace más pequeño ya que la gente viaja más y con esto hay más riesgo de contraer enfermedades. Algunos ejemplos incluyen el coqueluche, tosferina o enfermedad por Bordetella pertussis, el sarampión, la varicela, el polio, la Hepatitis A y B, y la epiglotitis u obstrucción de la vía aérea por la bacteria Haemophilus influenza. Estas enfermedades crean gravísimas secuelas como la parálisis, largas y complicadas hospitalizaciones o incluso la muerte.

¿Por qué las personas no tienen sus vacunas al día?

Son muchas las razones por las cuales esto sucede. Algunas personas y padres de familia tienen temores sin fundamento respecto a los efectos secundarios de las vacunas. Otros cuestionan su eficacia. En cualquiera de estos dos casos, estudios científicos a escala mundial y años de utilización de muchas de estas vacunas (en el caso de la vacuna del polio, por ejemplo, que viene siendo administrada por más de 50 años) desvirtúan estas preocupaciones. Las vacunas que administramos en el presente son seguras y sus beneficios sobrepasan cualquier tipo de riesgo.

Otra razón se debe al desconocimiento de las vacunas que corresponden. Es importante recordar que los esquemas de vacunación son diferentes en cada país y que algunas vacunas que se recomiendan en un país no lo son en otro. Cuando las familias viajan de un país a otro es importante asegurarse que se tienen todas las vacunas recomendadas.

Finalmente, otra razón para no tener todas las vacunas al día se debe a la dificultad de mantener registros adecuados de vacunación (pasaportes, carnets, tarjetas, etc.).

¿Qué hacer para asegurarse de estar al día?

Anualmente, el Centro de Control y Prevención de Enfermedades de los Estados Unidos (CDC por sus siglas en inglés) y la Academia Americana de Pediatría, publican un calendario actualizado con todas las vacunas recomendadas para cada grupo de edad. Una forma de saber si usted y su hijo tienen todas las vacunas al día es asegurándose que tiene todas las vacunas recomendadas para su edad según el calendario. Estos calendarios pueden ser confusos, por lo que es importante que hable con su doctor. Llévele todos los registros de vacunación que tenga, tanto domésticos como internacionales.

Actualmente existen registros electrónicos médicos que facilitan documentar todas las vacunas recibidas en un mismo registro, al cual se puede tener acceso con mayor facilidad. Pregúntele a su médico si utiliza este tipo de registro electrónico. Pregúntele también si otros médicos y proveedores de salud pueden tener acceso a este registro. Pídale que se asegure que estén incluidas todas las vacunas que usted y su hijo han recibido, no sólo las que su médico les ha administrado, sino también las que han recibido en otros lugares o países.

Los hispanos y las vacunas

Desafortunadamente, la población hispana en los Estados Unidos tiende a presentar porcentajes de vacunación más bajos que la población no-hispana, y con esto el riesgo de tener enfermedades contagiosas es mayor.

Algunos de los ejemplos de las disparidades existentes respecto a enfermedades que se pueden prevenir con las vacunas son los siguientes: En el año 2000, 17 niños menores de un año murieron en Estados Unidos debido al coqueluche, tosferina o enfermedad por Bordetella pertussis. Los 17 niños nacieron en los Estados Unidos; 41 % de ellos eran hispanos. Estos desenlaces fatales, y muchas enfermedades más, hubieran podido prevenirse si hubiesen tenido al día sus vacunas de DtaP o Tdap (Difteria, Tétanos y Tosferina/pertussis). Por la misma razón, entre 1990 y 1999, un número excesivamente alto de infantes hispanos (35%) murieron a causa del coqueluche, tosferina o enfermedad por Bordetella pertussis.

Entre 1989 y 1990 hubo una epidemia de sarampión en el estado de California; 40% de todos los casos presentados de sarampión durante esta epidemia fueron de niños latinos o hispanos. Durante esta epidemia, los niños hispanos o latinos tuvieron un riesgo mayor 9.6 veces de contraer esta enfermedad más que los niños no-hispanos.

Para mayor información acerca de las vacunas y de los calendarios de vacunación, hable con su médico o visite http://www.cdc.gov/spanish/inmunizacion/index.htm, o llame al CDC al 1-(800) 232-4636.


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Friday, April 24, 2009

The latest on swine flu

If you've been following recent news you may have heard about something called swine flu. Swine influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza among pigs. Occasionally humans are infected with swine flu viruses and, in some instances, they can spread the virus person-to-person. Unfortunately, this is what's happening now.

Since late March, eight confirmed human cases of swine flu have occurred in California and Texas. All of the patients recovered completely, but there is concern over the fact that each of the patients was infected with a strain of swine influenza A that has never been seen before. Additionally, the CDC reports that it appears that the same new strain of swine flu is responsible for a wave of illness and a number of deaths in Mexico.

CDC is working closely with state and local officials in California and Texas and other health and animal officials on investigations into these cases. For updated information, visit www.cdc.gov/flu/swine/.

Don't forget that there are basic precautions you can take to help protect yourself from influenza and keep from spreading it to others. Avoid close contact with people who are sick, wash your hands frequently, and cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough.


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Get Ready Mailbag: Should I stay home if I have the flu?

Welcome to another installment of the Get Ready Mailbag, when we take time to answer questions sent our way by readers like you. Have a question you want answered? Send an e-mail to getready@apha.org.

Q. How long should I stay home from school or work when I have the flu? I don’t get many days off of work and I don't like my kids to miss more school than necessary, but I also don't want to get other people sick.

A. Although it may be difficult to take off time from work or school when you're sick with the flu, it is the best thing you can do to do keep others safe.

However, there's no hard and fast rule about how long you should stay home. The duration of the flu varies and so does the infectious period. But as a rule of thumb, you should probably stay home if you are exhibiting flu symptoms such as fever, severe headaches, muscle aches and pain, fatigue, cough, sore throat or runny nose. Ideally, you want to stay home until you're symptom free.

If you have no other option and must return to school or work before it is safe, take precautions to avoid making others sick. Wash or sanitize your hands frequently and avoid touching shared objects. Also avoid shaking hands and do your best to stay out the personal space of others.


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Friday, April 17, 2009

Reading, writing, 'rithmetic...and disasters? Making sure your school is prepared


As a parent, you do everything in your power to make sure your children are safe from disasters. You teach them not to play with matches, and how to call 9-1-1. But once they arrive at school, their safety is out of your hands. Luckily, there is a way for schools to be more prepared: The U.S. Agency for Health Research and Quality has created a new resource for schools to use when planning for the unexpected.

The new AHRQ toolkit "School-Based Emergency Preparedness: A National Analysis and Recommended Protocol" helps schools create their own detailed preparedness plans to help keep kids safe, covering everything from preparations and training to communications and building security.

One of the first steps to being more prepared is planning, which should involve teachers, public health officials and local safety workers, according to AHRQ. Parents can also play a role in helping schools prepare. When time is of the essence, swift communication can make all the difference. Parents can assist communication by alerting schools when their contact information changes. Because this step is easily forgotten, schools should periodically get in touch with parents to see if anything has changed.

Despite the need for preparedness, many schools may not be as ready as they should be, especially when in comes to issues such as sheltering in place during an emergency or lockdown situations. Yet they have good reason to be: More than 50 million children attend the nation's 115,000 schools daily, spending more than 70 percent to 80 percent of their waking hours there. And disasters can easily happen without warning during the school day.

What can you do? Find out the status of your local school's preparedness plan by contacting a school administrator or member of the PTA. If your school isn't prepared, refer administrators to the AHRQ toolkit or resources from the U.S. Department of Education. Helping your school develop a preparedness plan is an excellent way to get the community involved and help guarantee the safety of your community's children.

Photo courtesy of iStockphoto


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Thursday, April 09, 2009

Would you survive a disaster? Read our exclusive Q&A with Amanda Ripley

If a disaster struck you right this instant — right now, right where you are — what would you do?

If you are like most people, chances are that you will freeze like a deer in headlights. The instinct to shut down when faced with a high-stress situation is common, according to Amanda Ripley, author of a recent book, "The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes — and Why." Freezing in place probably served as a form of defense for our cavemen ancestors, "but in more modern situations it is not as appropriate," said Ripley in a March Q&A interview with APHA's Get Ready campaign.

"We need to understand this better because it’s the kind of thing you can overcome, and it’s very, very dangerous in events like fires or plane crashes," Ripley told the Get Ready campaign. "We've seen this many times, we know that this is a bigger risk than almost any other behavior — certainly much more likely than panic — so we should start planning for it in advance."

So can you really do anything to prepare? Ripley says yes. Studies have shown some people react better than others in emergency situations and that training can help. To start, when faced with the worst, try controlling your fear by adjusting your breathing: "Breathe in for four counts, hold for four counts, release for four counts, hold for four counts and you repeat, over and over and over again whenever you are under stress," said Ripley, who is a Time Magazine writer. Another tip? The best chances of survival in a disaster are usually to stick together and rely on those around you.

To read the full exclusive Q&A with Ripley, visit the Get Ready Web site. While you are there, check out our other helpful Q&As with health experts, including those that tell you whether your pets can give you diseases, what foods are healthy to put in your emergency supplies and how to keep your kids free of infectious diseases. Learn something new today with a Get Ready Q&A!


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Friday, April 03, 2009

MRSA prevention is a good intention

Here's another reason for practicing good, basic hygiene: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA (pronounced MER-sa). Ever heard of it? You may know it as a "staph infection." Either way, it's a skin infection that's often easily treatable, but can sometimes lead to more severe infections. MRSA is a type of staph infection that doesn't respond to regular antibiotics. So that means it's trickier to treat.

A staph infection (PDF) shows up as a bump on the skin such as pimples or boils. To spot one, ask yourself: Is the infected area swollen and red? Does it hurt? Is there pus? If so, then contact your health care provider immediately to get the wound examined.

Basically, you're at risk of getting infected by the bacteria if you've touched infected people, surfaces or objects. You're especially vulnerable after surgery in a hospital when you're dealing with an open wound in a crowded place. Other crowded places with frequent skin-to-skin contact and lack of cleanliness, such as schools, dormitories, day care centers and households, are also frequent sources for spread of the infection.

The good news is a few simple steps can help prevent and reduce the spread of MRSA. To protect yourself, some basic hygiene rules apply:
* Wash your hands thoroughly and often.
* Clean and bandage all open wounds — minor cuts included.
* Stay away from other people's open cuts.
* Never share toiletries such as razors, wash cloths and towels.

If you get a staph infection, your doctor may drain the infection and possibly put you on an antibiotic. Always take all prescribed antibiotic doses. If you stop taking antibiotics in the middle, the infection may come back stronger and be harder to treat the second time around. Never skip a dose, give the antibiotic to someone else or keep it for later.

Remember, most staph infections are minor and easily treated. But sometimes they can lead to much worse. Follow the basic steps we've listed to help keep you and those you love safe.


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