Some Things You Outgrow as an Adult. Vaccines Aren’t One of Them.
Did you know that vaccines are recommended for people of all ages?
Even if you were fully vaccinated as a child, the protection from some vaccines you received can wear off over time and you may need a booster. There also are specific vaccines that you may need as you get older based on your age, job, lifestyle, travel, or other health conditions.
Below are 5 reasons adults need vaccines:
1) Every year, thousands of adults in the U.S. suffer serious health problems, are hospitalized, or even die from preventable diseases.
Much of this could be avoided if more adults received their recommended vaccines. While most adults recognize the need for childhood vaccinations, many adults simply don’t realize that vaccines are recommended to protect against diseases like whooping cough, hepatitis A and B, pneumococcal disease, shingles and influenza.
The latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that vaccination rates for adults are extremely low (National Health Interview Survey, 2014).
Higher vaccination rates could help avoid the many cases of vaccine preventable diseases that adults suffer with each year. For example, in 2015 there were about 27,000 cases of invasive pneumococcal disease and 3,300 deaths among adults. In 2016, there were more than 15,000 cases of whooping cough reported to the CDC. Additionally, there are about 1 million cases of shingles and millions of cases of influenza that occur each year in the U.S.
2) Certain health conditions can put adults at greater risk of complications if they do get sick.
As we go through life we’re often diagnosed with certain health conditions that put us at increased risk for complications from diseases such as pneumonia and influenza. This includes conditions such as heart disease, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and diabetes. Even if we feel we have those conditions under control, it is best to get vaccinated to prevent an illness that can complicate these conditions and cause severe illness, hospitalization or even death.
3) Adults are more likely to contract certain diseases.
As we age, we also become more likely to suffer with diseases such as shingles or pneumococcal disease. That is why adults 65 and older are recommended to receive one or more pneumococcal vaccines, and those 60 years and older should get a shingles vaccine.
5 Things Expectant Parents Need to Know About Vaccines in Pregnancy
The more we learn about fetal development, the more advice women seem to get on what to do, and what to avoid, while pregnant. Of course, all this information can be overwhelming, especially when preparing for the arrival of your first child. While well-meaning friends and family will provide a constant stream of advice, expectant couples should rely on credible medical sources such as the CDC, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), and the American College of Nurse Midwives.
Here are 5 things these organizations say about the flu and Tdap vaccines routinely recommended during pregnancy:
1) Maternal vaccine recommendations serve a dual purpose.
The first reason is to protect the mother. Changes in a woman’s immune, heart, and lung functions during pregnancy make her more likely to get ill and suffer severe complications from illnesses as compared to non-pregnant women. In fact, a pregnant woman is five times as likely to suffer complications or death from flu compared to non-pregnant women. Additionally, if a woman should fall ill during pregnancy, she has a greater chance of hospitalization, spontaneous abortion or complications that can directly impact the health of her baby such as preterm labor and delivery, and low birth weight babies.
The second reason is to protect the baby. If a woman becomes sick before, during, or even shortly after delivery, she can easily pass a disease on to her baby. New moms spend a great deal of time in close proximity to their newborn babies, so it is understandable that they might share infections. But infections like flu and pertussis, also known as whooping cough, are not just a threat to a new mother. They can also be extremely dangerous, and even deadly, to young children.
2) Vaccination timing is important.
Getting vaccinated during each pregnancy (as opposed to before or after) enables a woman to pass on protective antibodies to her developing baby that can then provide short-term protection against flu and pertussis until the baby is old enough to get their own vaccines.
The best time for a pregnant woman to get a Tdap vaccine is between 27 and 36 weeks of each pregnancy, with the earlier part of this time period being most preferable. This preferred vaccination window is based on studies of the cord blood of babies whose mothers received Tdap vaccine in pregnancy and the associated levels of pertussis antibodies detected in that cord blood. Often times, adults are unaware that they have a pertussis infection, which is why the infection can easily be passed on to babies. Babies are especially vulnerable to the disease because they only begin getting their own DTaP vaccination to prevent pertussis at 2 months of age. But even then, they need an additional four doses at 4 months, between 6-9 months, between 12-15 months and again between age 4-5 before they are fully immunized. The antibodies they receive from their mother helps protect them in those early months after birth.
An inactivated flu shot is recommended for pregnant women at any trimester of each pregnancy. However, the best time to get a flu vaccine is before the season begins, so that the mother, who herself is at great risk of flu complications, is fully protected before flu activity begins to elevate in her community. . Since it takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body that protect against flu virus infection, it is best for pregnant women to get vaccinated by the end of October, if possible. Unfortunately, flu vaccines are not recommended until a child is 6 months of age, which is why the protection a child gets from his or her mother is critical to keeping that child flu-free until they can receive their own vaccine.
3) Maternal vaccines protect against two serious illnesses; whooping cough and flu.
Raising Awareness of Viral Hepatitis on World Hepatitis Day
Viral hepatitis is a major health problem and one of the leading causes of death globally. Approximately 1.34 million people die each year all around the world, and million others are infected, most of which do not even know. Since hepatitis is not limited to one location or one group of people, everyone around the world needs to understand the disease burden and the steps they can take for prevention, testing and treatment.
The ABC’s of Hepatitis
“Hepatitis” means “inflammation” of the liver and it can be caused by things such as bacterial and viral infections, toxins, certain drugs, some diseases, and heavy alcohol use. There are currently five hepatitis viruses that have been identified that specifically attack the liver and cause “viral hepatitis”. The most common types are A, B, and C, but there is also D and E.
All of the hepatitis viruses cause a new or “acute” infection, but only the hepatitis B and C viruses can result in a “chronic” infection that increases the risk of a person developing cirrhosis, liver failure or liver cancer.
Hepatitis A virus (HAV):
Hepatitis A virus can range in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a severe illness lasting several months. It is highly contagious and usually transmitted when the virus is taken in by mouth from contact with objects, food, or drinks that are contaminated by the feces (or stool) of an infected person.
The best way to prevent an infection is by getting vaccinated with the 2-dose series of hepatitis which is routinely recommended for all children, travelers to certain countries, and persons at risk for the disease. Fortunately, the vaccine has helped reduce the incidence of hepatitis A, but there are still outbreaks in the U.S. every year. In 2014, there were an estimated 2,500 cases of acute hepatitis A infections in the United States. So far in 2017, there have been 275 cases in San Diego alone, resulting in 194 hospitalizations and 8 deaths.
Hepatitis B virus (HBV):
Hepatitis B virus can be transmitted through the body fluids of an infected person. This can happen through intimate contact, contact with the blood or open sore of an infected person, sharing needles, syringes, razors or toothbrushes, or from a mother to her baby at birth. Unlike hepatitis A, it is not routinely spread through food or water. However, it is possible to spread to babies when they receive pre-chewed food from an infected person. Surprisingly, hepatitis B virus can survive outside the body for as long as 7 days. During that time, the virus can still cause infection if it enters the body of a person who is not infected.
Many people with chronic hepatitis B virus infection do not know they are infected since they do not feel or look sick. It is believed that 90% of people living with hepatitis B are unaware of their infection status. Unfortunately, this means they are often unknowingly spreading it to others.
For some people, hepatitis B is an acute, or short-term, illness but for others, it can become a long-term, chronic infection. The younger a person is when infected, the greater their risk of developing chronic disease. For example, approximately 90% of infected infants become chronically infected, compared with 2%–6% of adults. This is why the birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine is so critical in preventing chronic infections that can lead to serious health issues, like cirrhosis or liver cancer. (To understand why babies need the vaccine at birth, see a guest post written by Carolyn Aldigé, President and Founder of the, Prevent Cancer Foundation here.)
In the U.S. an estimated 850,000-2.2 million persons have chronic hepatitis B. However, rates of acute hepatitis B in the U.S. have declined by approximately 82% since 1991, when the routine vaccination of children was implemented. Yet, in 2015, it was estimated that 257 million people are still living with hepatitis B infection worldwide.
Hepatitis C virus (HCV):
Help Stop Devastating Cuts to Immunization Infrastructure
The House is moving forward on budget proposals for Fiscal Year 2018 (FY18) and has suggested a $50 million cut to immunization funding to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
This could mean serious reductions in our country’s and states’ abilities to:
- Support the science that informs our national immunization policy;
- Provide a safety net to uninsured, low-income adults by enabling vaccine purchases;
- Monitor the safety of vaccines;
- Educate healthcare providers;
- Perform community outreach; and
- Conduct surveillance, laboratory testing and epidemiology in response to disease outbreaks.
Please call your Representative today and tell him or her:
“Please reject the proposed $50 million cut to the CDC Immunization Program and maintain level funding for FY18. A funding reduction would have serious consequences for communities across the country at a time when outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles are on the rise.”
You can also reference Every Child By Two’s State of the ImmUnion report to examine how strong our defenses truly are against vaccine-preventable diseases and what we can do, as public health advocates and legislators, to make our ImmUnion stronger and more resilient in the face of emerging health threats. You may even want to share this report with your Representative since it highlights the successes of vaccines, the economic and societal savings incurred from vaccines, challenges facing the public health system and key areas that we need to focus on to achieve optimal protection against vaccine-preventable diseases.
Please use Who Is My Representative? to quickly find your Member of Congress in the House.
Thank you for your continued support of immunizations and their critical role in protecting our health!
Updates from June 2017 Meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices
Recently, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met to discuss several important developments concerning vaccines. As you may be aware, this impartial group of experts advises the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on all matters related to vaccine recommendations. In the coming years, the ability of the CDC and public health departments to implement the recommendations of this group may be under threat from proposed provisions within the health care reform bills and congressional budget cuts.
The activities of the ACIP are supported by staff at the CDC, which receives annual appropriations from the federal government to fulfill its duties. This federal immunization funding is at risk of being drastically cut if the Prevention and Public Health Fund (PPHF) is eliminated. (Click here to see a breakdown of the impact of the elimination of the PPHF funds by state.) If Congress follows the recommendation of the President, funding will be reduced by another 14% beginning in Fiscal Year (FY) 2018.
The result is that CDC may no longer be able to fully support its immunization functions including:
- ACIP staffing;
- Vaccine purchase and supply management;
- Vaccine safety monitoring;
- Education initiatives;
- Disease surveillance;
- Outbreak response; and
- Funding support for state, territory, and city immunization programs.
An example of the critical activities conducted by the CDC includes support for the ACIP. This committee of experts from diverse fields such as vaccinology, immunology, pediatrics, internal medicine, nursing, family medicine, virology, public health, infectious diseases, and\preventive medicine meets three times a year to review and discuss vaccine research and scientific data related to vaccine effectiveness and safety, clinical trial results, outbreaks of vaccine-preventable disease or changes in vaccine supply.
There are 15 voting members, 8 ex officio members who represent other federal agencies with responsibility for immunization programs in the United States, and 30 non-voting representatives of liaison organizations that bring related immunization expertise. All members volunteer their time and come from many leading professional and public organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, and the American Geriatrics Society. This is the only meeting to gather such a comprehensive group of experts whose aim it is to protect individual and public health.
The current health care reform discussions that are happening in Congress may have a direct impact on this Committee. Please continue to reach out to your Representatives and Senators to let them know the importance of keeping PPHF and CDC fully funded. (You can find your Members of Congress at http://whoismyrepresentative.com/ and some suggestive language to share here.)
The value of the ACIP can not be overstated. During their most recent committee meeting in June, members discussed several important issues recapped in the summary below.
Every Child By Two Delivers Critical Message to Legislators
Every Child By Two will also be making a special presentation on Capitol Hill today, alongside experts from the CDC, AAP and Children’s National Health System.
The panelists will discuss concerns regarding the vaccine-preventable diseases that continue to infect American children and debunk misinformation about vaccine safety. Every Child By Two’s Executive Director, Amy Pisani, will explain the impact that proposed cuts in vaccine funding and changes to the healthcare replacement bills will have on efforts to protect the American public from deadly preventable diseases.
Please contact your legislators and suggest they attend this special Childhood Immunization Presentation at 2322 Rayburn House Office Building between 3-4 pm today, June 27th. (You can also tune into Facebook Live by following the Vaccinate Your Family Facebook page where we have provided live feed coverage of the meeting).
Given the continuing discussions on health care reform, Every Child By Two believes it is more important than ever to re-circulate their State of the ImmUnion report to our nation’s legislators. This report details our country’s current abilities to control and respond to vaccine-preventable diseases.
It’s important that legislators understand that preserving funds for the Vaccines For Children (VFC) program was an important first step in protecting the nation against deadly infectious diseases, but it’s not enough. Proposed funding cuts to Medicaid, the Prevention and Public Health Fund (PPHF), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would:
- Directly cause the understaffing and potential closure of health clinics across the country.
- Prevent pregnant women from accessing crucial vaccines to prevent whooping cough and flu in their newborns. About half of babies younger than one year of age who contract whooping cough need care in the hospital, and 1 out of 100 babies who get treatment in the hospital die. Additionally, in the 2016-2017 influenza season, 101 children died as a result of the flu.
- Place adults at risk of vaccine-preventable disease. Influenza and pneumonia, both of which are vaccine-preventable, are currently the eighth most common cause of death among adults in the U.S. Treatment of adults for influenza, pneumonia, pertussis and influenza costs the U.S. $27 billion annually in unnecessary healthcare costs.
- Reduce the management of the $4.3 billion investment in government-purchased vaccines for children. Administration of the VFC program is funded by Section 317 dollars which are subject to significant cuts in funding.
Ongoing outbreaks of measles, whooping cough, and flu are stark reminders that even small drops in vaccination rates can have devastating consequences.
This is why Every Child By Two is taking steps to encourage federal legislators to put the health of our nation first by fully funding CDC, replacing the PPHF, and maintaining a strong safety net through the preservation of Medicaid.
101 Empty Chairs
By Serese Marotta, Chief Operating Officer, Families Fighting Flu
Sadly, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have reported that the 2016/2017 flu season has now claimed the lives of more than 100 children. 101 to be exact. This statistic is hauntingly familiar – three of the past five flu seasons also claimed the lives of more than 100 children.
Sometimes we forget what these numbers really mean.
It means that 101 families had to bury their beloved children; 101 families have to listen to the deafening sound of silence left by their lost loved ones; and 101 families now have empty chairs at their dinner tables every night.
I paint this picture because I know how these families feel. They’re probably thinking the same thing I did after my son died from the flu – how did this happen and what could I have done to prevent it?
Unfortunately, unless flu has personally touched your family like it has mine, chances are you’re not all that worried about flu. You may even think it’s just a bad cold. Well, as the mother of a child who lost her five-year old son to flu, I’m here to tell you, “Not so“.
According to the CDC, flu kills more Americans every year – up to 56,000 people – than any other vaccine-preventable disease. Since 2004, when the CDC started reporting pediatric flu deaths, 1,466 children – many of whom were otherwise healthy – have lost their lives to flu.
Flu is that infectious disease that seems to fly under the radar. While everyone is focused on the latest outbreak of measles, mumps, pertussis or meningitis, flu is that one disease that we know we will have an outbreak of each and every year. As prevalent as flu is, it still manages to creep up like a quiet thief in the night, stealing our loved ones right out from under our noses. And yet when it does, we wonder why we never saw it coming. Flu has killed millions of people worldwide – and it will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
So what can we do to protect ourselves and our loved ones from influenza each year? Annual vaccination.
Studies show that flu vaccination can reduce the likelihood of death and hospitalization from flu in people of all ages. Yet, less than half of Americans get their annual flu vaccine. Read more…
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