Shot of Prevention

As I was preparing to leave for a brief business trip on Sunday evening I heard these words:

“God comes to us disguised as our life.”

Little did I know that over the next two days I would come to a fuller understanding of what these words mean to me in regards to my life at this moment.

In my faith, I believe that the choices we make and the actions we take should be guided by our love for our neighbor who encompasses all of humanity.  With that vision, it’s my personal opinion that there’s nothing more compassionate than saving the life of a child.

While parents in the United States often have the luxury of waiting for hours in line for that magical Dumbo ride at Disney, the reality remains that in many other countries mothers walk for miles and wait for hours for a simple vaccine in hopes that their own princes and princesses will have the hope of a healthier life.  While many of us readily acknowledge that such disparity exists, children all over the globe continue to suffer and die from vaccine preventable diseases.  As individuals we often feel powerless to do anything about it.   However, by supporting global vaccination programs we can save the life of a child every 20 seconds and stop the nearly 2 million unnecessary deaths that happen every year.

One way in which I personally plan to evoke change is through supporting a new campaign called Shot@Life.  By helping to educate, connect and empower people, Shot@Life is launching a powerful initiative that promotes vaccines as one of the most cost-effective ways to save the lives of children in developing countries.  This new UN Foundation project focuses on ways in which every day people can help give children around the world the shot at life they deserve, no matter where they live.  As you can see in the video below, some children may never experience the milestones that many of us take for granted; like saying their first words, losing their first tooth, or even getting their first vaccine.

After attending a special Shot@Life volunteer summit earlier this week, it became quite clear to me – as well as to each of the other volunteer champions in attendance – that there are as many ways to help, as there are people who want to be a part of the solution. Read more…

When it comes to issues regarding disease prevention, our choices impact our children now and throughout their adult life.  Whether we choose to vaccinate our children or not, or delay certain vaccines or not, we are making decisions that have consequences.

A child who falls ill with a vaccine preventable disease may end up just fine.  However, others will have to endure permanent health problems.  And still others will suffer and die, like the many whose stories appear on sites like Vaccinate Your Baby and Shot by Shot.

Earlier this week a comment on the Vaccinate Your Baby Facebook page that made me think about the challenges parents face.  A concerned mother, seeking guidance states:

“I have a 28 month old son and have been delaying and selectively vaccinating. I am looking for a neutral page where I can find information to help me make decisions about what vaccines to get. This page appears to be a page that will deliver only one side of the story. Where can I go to get information both positive and negative about vaccinating? I am faced with some decisions very soon and wish to make an informed decision. I have read some information about vaccines, but not enough to be comfortable just yet.”

I have heard these sentiments echoed time and time again.  When faced with uncertainty, parents often delay or selectively vaccinate until they can feel more comfortable with the idea.  While I understand this rationale on an emotional level, I believe that parents must begin by understanding the importance of research, science and statistics in order to make an informed decision.  In other words, it’s not that parents should look for a “neutral page”, as this mother suggests, but more importantly, an accurate one that uses scientific evidence to support their recommendations. Read more…

January has been a busy month here on Shot of Prevention.  We’ve had a parent speak out on the significance of HPV protection for her son, a pharmacuetical employee comment on how proud she is to help ensure the safety of vaccines, we’ve even had a nurse call out the non-vaccinating Patriot nurse for sharing misleading information on YouTube.  Of course, let’s not forget about the return of Andrew Wakefield and his plans to sue for libel. 

Which leads me to a great editorial that appeared this morning in The Huffington Post, entitled Unencumbered By Facts: What Upsets Me Most About the Anti-vaccine Movement.  In this article, Claire McCarthy, M.D, who is a pediatrician at Children’s Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, explained why the appearance of Andrew Wakefield on Good Morning American had given her the chills.  (View it for yourself and you’ll see exactly what she is referring to.)

She explains that “My only crusade as a pediatrician is to keep my patients healthy — and vaccines are part of what I use to do just that.”  But she questions how doctors are supposed to help parents understand the enormous benefits and occasional risks of vaccines when “We stick to the facts. But people like Andrew Wakefield don’t.”

Dr. McCarthy does a great job of communicating her frustration and explaining the challenges the medical community has in countering the much publicized anti-vaccine rhetoric.  And while she speaks as one individual pediatrician, I would venture to guess that many others have echoed her views, but are, as she described, often “drowned out” by the headlines and airtime devoted to people like Andrew Wakefield.

She concludes her article by referring to what Wakefield says at the end of the Good Morning America interview;

 ”Wakefield encouraged parents to get educated, and to read about immunizations. He even suggested the CDC website. He said, emphatically, that there are two sides to the story.  I couldn’t agree more. But just one of them is grounded in facts.”

I applaud Dr. McCarthy for speaking out and I encourage you to read her article.  Of course, you are encouraged to not just listen to her opinion, but to get the facts.  Vaccinations save lives!

Recently a friend and nurse, who I adore, shared a video with me.  Now I know my friend to be a very diligent nurse and she’s often discussed how frustrating it is to come across Facebook pages and YouTube videos where nurses dangerously suggest that people should not vaccinate their children.  After reviewing this video, I knew it must have been a major dissapointment to my friend, both personally, and professionally.  While I wasn’t completely surprised by the comments this particular “Patriot Nurse” made, I am a bit concerned about the information she presents.  http://youtu.be/riM4xfrzjAY

At the beginning, the “Patriot Nurse” states that the comments are turned off, but explains this is because she is only interested in “intelligent debate”.  As far as I’m concerned, debate only happens when both sides get to present their position.  So, after viewing the video I figured that we could certainly help facilitate debate for the “Patriot Nurse”.

(Interestingly enough, it’s unclear whether this video is tied in any way to Rachel Greene of the Patriot Nurse blog.  Could this be the same Rachel Greene who works as a nurse in a TN birthing center?  I certainly hope not.  As far as the informed consent she calls for in her video, I would have to wonder if the parents giving birth in that center are fully informed about her views on vaccines. )

To kick off the discussion, I wanted to begin with comments I received from another nurse with serious objections to what the “Patriot Nurse” states in the video above.  As a Canadian nurse, with an additional background in biology, who works at a large teaching hospital, she’ll tell you… don’t’ take her word for anything, but instead, be wary of individuals who use You Tube to spout off misinformation and try to convince you not to protect your children from preventable disease.

Of course, as always, we welcome your comments in an intelligent debate below.   Read more…

So it’s January, and even though you may not know anyone who has suffered with the flu yet, that doesn’t mean you’ve escaped the illness this year.

The flu is very unpredictable.  While flu activity historically peaks in the U.S. in January or February, sometimes seasonal flu activity can begin as early as October and continue to occur as late as May.  And since it takes about two weeks after vaccination for your body to develop an immune response, it’s best to be vaccinated as soon as possible.

While it’s recommended that everyone six months of age and older be vaccinated, it’s important to realize that there are specific groups that are at a greater risk of flu complications that can result in hospitalization or even death.  Sometimes, people in these high risk groups are note even aware of the severe risks that influenza poses to them.

Take for instance pregnant women.  Due to changes in their immune system during pregnancy, as well as in their heart and lungs, pregnant women are more prone to severe illness from flu.  Not only could the flu impact a mother’s health, but influenza can also pose a serious problems for the unborn baby, including premature labor and delivery.  And since children younger than 6 months are still quite fragile and at high risk for serious flu-related complications, it’s important to safeguard them from influenza as best we can.  Since these infants can’t get vaccinated or take antiviral drugs, their best protection comes from the antibodies they receive from their vaccinated mother. Read more…

Shots aren’t just for babies.

In fact, it is recommended that children receive booster shots for various preventable diseases throughout their adolescent years.  And recently, since bacterial meningitis has proven to be a serious, sometimes fatal, disease that is easily spread on college campuses, several states have begun requiring a meningitis vaccine for college students living in dorms.  However, as a direct result of Senate Bill 1107, the state of Texas has now taken these precautions one step further. As of January 1st, a new law has taken effect that makes Texas the first state to require a bacterial meningitis vaccine for all college students under the age of 30, even if they are not living on campus.

Students will be required to provide evidence of vaccination by Friday, Jan. 27 by providing an official immunization record, school vaccination record or the signature or stamp of a physician or health official showing the month, day and year the vaccination or booster was administered.  Though other states often require meningitis vaccinations for 11- and 12-year-old students – with a recommended booster dose at 16 – none go as far as Texas law. Most states only attempt to make students aware of the vaccine, but Texas will be the first to require the vaccination during the five-year period before, or at least 10 days prior to, the first day of the semester for all students.

In a recent article, published in The Monitor, Kim McKay, interim dean of enrollment at South Texas College is quoted as saying, “…we are trying to take all of the proper precautions to protect the health and well-being of our students.”

As you can see in the video below, meningitis often strikes quickly and aggressively.  Since many people are unaware of just how serious the consequences can be, it’s best to hear about the implications of this disease from families who have had first hand experience to share.

While this video was compiled by the National Meningitis Association, there are numerous other stories like these compiled on the Shot by Shot website.

If you know a college student who is currently home on winter break, suggest that they be vaccinated before they return to campus.  We also encourage you to share these stories with friends and  family and check the immunization records for your younger children as well.  A simple vaccine can help save the lives and limbs of those you love.

For more information, please check out these great resources:

National Meningitis Association

Meningitis Angels

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:  Meningitis Questions and Answers