Is that a word game?
HAV. HBV, HCV…No, they are not different versions of mechanical devices! Thay are actually the acronyms for 3 very common, yet very serious, viral diseases.
These are the 3 most common viral hepatitis infections worldwide. Hepatitis is literally an inflammation of the liver caused by a virus. According to a recent study conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), viral hepatitis (hepatitis caused by a few specific viruses that primarily attack the liver) is a leading cause of death that claims the lives of 12,000-15,000 Americans each year. You could be one of them!
The HHS study indicates that 3.5-5.3 million Americans are living with viral hepatitis and do not know that they are infected. The disease can exist in the body for decades without producing symptoms. Therefore, 65%-75% of Americans remain unaware of their infection and go untreated.
Of the 3 most common types of hepatitis infection, 2 are vaccine preventable. HAV (hepatitis A) and HBV (hepatitis B) have vaccines that are available to both children and adults. HCV (hepatitis C) does not have a vaccine, and is–not surprisingly–the most common form of hepatitis infection.
So, what can you do to learn more and protect yourself?
1. Find out more about hepatitis and the vaccines available to you. A few great resources include:
- Talking About Adult Vaccination
- Childhood Vaccination
- CDC – Viral Hepatitis
- NEA HIN – Viral Hepatitis
2. Speak to yoru health care provider about viral hepatitis testing and whether you are eligible for the HAV and/or the HBV vaccines
To vaccinate or not to vaccinate? Is that a question?
In recent years, some parents are choosing to abstain
from vaccinating their children. Many
claim that there is no need, as most of the vaccine preventable diseases are
rare or seemingly eradicated. Recent
outbreaks of these diseases, however, indicate otherwise.
Last year (2010) the U.S. witnessed an epidemic of
Pertussis (also known as Whooping Cough).
This disease, vaccine preventable, was once considered an illness of the
past. The seeming eradication of Pertussis was due to high vaccine rates across
the nation. Most recently, however,
those rates have experienced a decline. Decreased vaccine rates among children
and low rates of booster vaccination among adults is believed to be the reason
Pertussis reached such high levels last year.
So, if 2010 was the year of Pertussis, then is 2011 the
year of Measles? According to a recent outbreak alert from the CDC (U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention), this seems to be the case. Through the first 5 months of 2011, the U.S.
has seen more Measles cases than it has since a peak in 1996. CDC has confirmed 118 cases of Measles, 105
of which have been imported from foreign countries by travelers to and from the
U.S. What is more alarming is that of those 105 cases, not one person was
vaccinated for Measles! The majority of
these were individuals who either personally abstained from vaccination due to
philosophical reasons, or were children whose parents claimed religious or
personal exemptions.
While there may be very sound reasons to abstain from
receiving a vaccination for yourself or your child, research indicates that
many parents choose not to vaccinate due to fear or lack of knowledge about
certain vaccines. It is very important
that each parent is well informed and educated about the purpose, safety and
importance of protecting their children and our communities against vaccine
preventable diseases. A choice to not
vaccinate affects more than just your child.
According to the CDC, the largest outbreak of Measles
this year occurred among 21 people in a small community where many children
were unvaccinated due to parental concerns about the safety of the Measles
vaccine (MMR). That outbreak resulted in
the exposure to and infection of Measles to many people who were unable to
receive a vaccine, including 7 infants too young to be vaccinated.
When it comes to vaccination, you do have a right to
choose, but you should choose wisely.
Deciding whether to vaccinate your child should be the result of
knowledge and understanding. Please,
take the time to understand the purpose, safety and importance of vaccinations,
for you and your child. The Childhood Vaccination and Talking About Adult Vaccination brochures are a
great source for basic information. The
CDC website is also a terrific resource for in depth vaccine information. Finally, your family healthcare provider will
be able to answer any questions or concerns you may have, and to help you make
an informed decision on whether to vaccinate or abstain.
Vaccines…the luxury of a lifetime
As
we enter National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW), I can’t help but
think how far we’ve come in my lifetime to secure immunization
against once insurmountable plagues of disease. We live in a time
now when germs from China or Africa arrive in the US in a matter of
hours. In our grandfathers time, the biggest worry was what
illness was in the next town or county.
In the 1950s, nearly every child developed measles. Unfortunately, some even
died from this disease. My own brother developed mumps in 1957 and was left
sterile as a result. Today, however, few physicians just out
of medical school will ever see a case of measles during their
careers. This is due to the wide use of the standard
recommended MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) vaccine for children. In
March 2005, CDC announced that rubella is no longer a major health threat to
expectant mothers and their unborn children, thanks to a safe and
effective MMR vaccine and high vaccine
coverage.
In my youth, it would have been unbelievable to imagine a day when these
infectious disease would be eradicated. Vaccinations are quite a luxury
that we take for granted today.
I began first grade in 1953 in a rural Virginia village with seven fellow
students. Jo Ellen was one of those seven. Jo Ellen developed polio the previous year and was
only able to walk with braces and two crutches. In that time, parents
kept young children on their farms because there was no protection available to
them – no vaccine existed. When the first oral polio immunization became available
in 1955, my mother took my three brothers and me to our church for the inoculation. I also remember standing in line in my
rural Virginia elementary school for the one or two other immunizations that were available.
In the 2010 California outbreak of whooping cough, 8,000 cases were reported
in the state with ten infant deaths. Additionally, measles takes the lives of more than 100,000 children globally each year. Thanks
to immunization, we can now protect infants and children from 14
vaccine-preventable diseases before age two. However, they must receive the vaccines to receive that protection!
In September 2010, CDC announced that childhood immunization rates for
vaccines routinely recommended for children remain at or near record highs. Perhaps we can find a day when our children can look back in
amazement, for the number of diseases that have been eradicated in their
lifetime.
If you have questions or concerns regarding childhood vaccination, please
refer to the Talking About Childhood Vaccine brochure, and be sure to consult
with your doctor.
For more information on activities happening around the country in
celebration of NIIW, please CDC’s NIWW page.
Pass it on?
At this moment, you may be carrying a deadly disease to those unable to be vaccinated and too vulnerable to survive. This past year we saw epidemic levels of whooping cough across various states due to low vaccination rates among adolescents, teenagers and adults. A simple booster shot could have prevented this and saved lives.
2010 saw the unnecessary death of 10 infants in California who contracted whooping cough and could not recover. Infants do not carry a full level of immunity against the disease until they have completed their childhood vaccine series. They rely on those around them to be vaccinated as an added barrier of immunity from the disease. This type of protection is referred to as herd immunity.
What happens when the herds’ immunity drops? Well, look around. We end up with epidemics of diseases previously perceived by the general public as having been eradicated.
Clinically named Pertussis, Whooping Cough may be spread through close physical contact, sneezing and coughing. It is named for the sound made from the spells of uncontrollable coughs it causes. For infants, this uncontrollable cough can cause suffocation for lack of oxygen and improper breathing.
Whooping Cough is preventable, as are many common diseases in the U.S. All it takes is a shot!
Many of us recognize the importance of immunizing our children, but rarely do we consider our adolescents, our teens, or ourselves as adults!
Why do we need to re-up on our shots? Because the protection of some vaccines diminishes over time, leaving us vulnerable to diseases we were previously immune to. For those around us who are too young or otherwise unable to get vaccinated, our vulnerability could be their kiss of death.
Recently, the CDC changed the recommendations for booster shots for Whooping Cough. All adolescents, teenagers and adults are encouraged to review their vaccine history and receive a dose of Tdap.
In light of the rampant spread of Whooping Cough around the nation, the fact that it’s a disease we can prevent, and that children have died because of it, I ask: Have you had your booster yet?
Make sure you and your loved ones are protected! Get your Tdap…it may just save a life!
NEA HIN has developed brochures for both childhood and adult vaccination. Please refer to these useful guides to help determine which vaccines you and your family may need.