Vaccination Station

Measles, Mumps, Rubella...oh my! Having so many friends with new babies or babies on the way, it seems there are many questions about vaccines, so I thought I would post a few resources and thoughts on the blog.

Thankfully, I and most people under age 35, have had the luxury of growing up without diseases like polio, measles, mumps, rubella and whooping cough--just to name a few. However, this is beginning to change as vaccination coverage falls off and adults don't get their boosters. And many of these diseases, while a major nuisance for adults, can be crippling (measles can blind children) and life-threatening (whooping cough) for little infants.

Over the last few years outbreaks of whooping cough, measles and mumps have become more frequent here in the US. And...they aren't just happening in areas like DC or New York but in middle America...even Iowa and Indiana! In 2006 there was a mumps outbreak in Iowa that spread to eight states (http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/conditions/04/14/mumps.outbreak/). In December 2007, Bob Jones University actually ended classes a week early to stem a growing whooping cough outbreak (http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/health/20071208-1137-bobjones-whoopingcough.html)
Also there was measles outbreak after an un-vaccinated girl went on a missions trip to Romania, became infected and upon return to the US, infected 33 other un-vaccinated individuals.

Health experts are now recommending the "cocoon strategy" to protect infants from diseases like whooping cough and influenza--by simply vaccinating the parents who take care of the kiddos, they can potentially protect them from the nasty bugs. So if you have an infant under the roof...or are expecting one...it seems worth while to "take one for the team" and get boosters (make sure when you get your tetanus booster that it includes pertussis--whooping cough).

And for those interested in finding out more about individual vaccines (this tells you about every potential complication, who makes the vaccine, when it is recommended to be given and how much mercury and thimerosal are contained in the dose), this website published by John's Hopkins is an excellent vaccine resource: http://www.vaccinesafety.edu/thi-table.htm

Also, the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia has a great article on autism and mercury: http://www.chop.edu/consumer/jsp/division/generic.jsp?id=75751

Here is to healthy babies and sleeping parents! :)