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NPM10: Vaccination As Part Of Your Preparedness Plan

 

Note: National Preparedness Month continues, and today the focus is on vaccinations as part of your preparedness plan.

You can follow this month long awareness campaign on Twitter by searching for the #NPM10 hash tag.


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Having just gotten my yearly flu shot on Saturday (see Already Working On My Antibodies For The Fall), I started thinking about how long it has been since my last Tetanus booster shot. A little digging through my files provided the answer.

 

I found my vaccine history card which placed it as the fall of 1999. 

 

Meaning I’m due for another booster shot.

 

Most people think of vaccines as kids stuff.  Something you outgrow the need for.  But that isn’t true.  Adults need vaccines as well.

 

During a major disaster - such as an earthquake, hurricane, or flood -  thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of people may sustain injuries ranging from small cuts and scrapes to major trauma.

 

And any of those who have let their tetanus booster vaccination lapse are at risk of serious, even life threatening, infection.

 

Even if you can obtain a tetanus shot immediately after an injury (and that could be problematic in a mass casualty event), that may not prevent infection.  It can take up to two weeks to build antibodies after getting the shot.

 

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Tetanus is relatively rare in the United States (see Tetanus Surveillance --- United States, 1998—2000) due to aggressive vaccination campaigns, but worldwide, this infection still claims hundreds of thousands of lives each year. 

 

And the Tetanus booster shot also protects against Diphtheria and Pertussis (Whooping Cough) – an old scourge that once was almost vanquished here in the United States, but has returned with a vengeance in recent years (see California Reports 9th Pertussis Fatality of 2010)

 

While many people avoid the flu vaccine each year, in the wake of a disaster thousands of people may find themselves temporarily crowded together in shelters, where an influenza virus could spread rapidly.

 

And of course, being down with the flu during a crisis isn’t exactly a good plan, either.  

 

Imagine trying to evacuate your home quickly with a couple of very sick kids, or the difficulties you might encounter finding a place to stay if your family were visibly ill with a communicable disease.

 

A simple flu vaccination each fall could go a long way towards preventing these scenarios.

 

If you have kids, talk to their pediatrician or your family doctor about what vaccinations they require.  

 

Adults can either ask their physicians, or refer to this handy vaccination schedule for adults provided by Immunize.org.

 

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Now . . .  where’s the number for my local health department?  

 

I need to schedule a booster shot.

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