Buzz - Student Health Services Newsletter
(Vol. 4) |
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Immunizations
Immunizations, shots, vaccines! These are all words which many
of us dread. However, it is very important to be up-to-date to
prevent some possible side-effects and health complications. Not
all vaccinations are required and not all vaccines are 100% effective.
It is important to discuss this information with your medical provider.
The majority of the information was taken from www.WebMD.com and
also the Centers for Disease Control www.cdc.gov.
Contents
- Influenza
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Chickenpox (Varicella)
- Meningitis
- Measles, Mumps and Rubella
- Tetanus, pertussis and diptheria
TaInfluenza vaccine (available starting in October
22 & 23 -$15)
Influenza (flu) is a contagious disease caused
by influenza viruses. Flu vaccines are reformulated every year
because the influenza
viruses change in ways that make a previous year's vaccine ineffective.
Flu
epidemics usually occur in the winter. To be fully protected, you
need to receive a dose of vaccine every fall or winter before
flu outbreaks begin.
The U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization
Practices (ACIP) makes recommendations for influenza vaccinations
among different groups
of people according to their risk categories.
Recommendations for
children
Although not yet an official policy
recommendation, influenza vaccine is encouraged by both the ACIP
and American Academy of Pediatrics
(AAP) for all children 6 months to 23 months of age when practical
and feasible. 2 Health-related organizations such as the ACIP and
AAP often encourage a practice before making it an official policy
recommendation. The ACIP and AAP plan to finalize their influenza
immunization policy recommendations sometime between 2003 and 2005.
For the latest updates on this issue, visit these organizations'
Web sites.
- See the ACIP recommendations on the Centers for Disease
Control (CDC) Web site: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/flu/who.htm.
- See
the AAP recommendations by using the search feature for "flu
vaccine" on the following Web site: http://www.aap.org.
Children
younger than 2 years have an increased risk for hospitalization
after becoming ill with the flu. People who have frequent contact
with these children, such as parents or day care providers, also
are encouraged to be immunized against influenza.
The ACIP strongly
recommends influenza vaccinations for children who are:
- 6 months of age and older with medical conditions such
as asthma, heart diseases, sickle cell disease, human immunodeficiency
virus
(HIV), and diabetes.
- 6 months to 18 years of age and taking
aspirin for a long-term medical condition.
- Taking medications
to suppress their immune system.
Recommendations
for adults
Adults should be vaccinated if they are at increased
risk for developing complications from influenza. You are at increased
risk if you:
- Are 50 years of age or older.
- Live in a long-term care facility,
such as a nursing home.
- Require close medical follow-up or have
been in a hospital during the preceding year because of a serious
disease, such as diabetes,
a lung, heart, or kidney condition, or HIV infection.
- Are taking
medications to suppress your immune system.
- Will be more than
3 months pregnant during the flu season.
In addition,
people who may pass the infection to those at high risk for complications
should be vaccinated. This group includes:
- Health care workers, including emergency response workers
and employees of long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes
and assisted
living facilities.
- Those who provide home care to people at
high risk.
- Those (including children) who live with people at
high risk.
Recommendations
for the general population
Anyone who wants to lower the risk
for developing influenza should consider having the vaccine.
The vaccine should also be considered
by people who provide essential community services, students
who live in dormitories, and people who live in institutions.
People
in a high-risk group traveling to the southern hemisphere from
April to September (flu season in this hemisphere) or
traveling to the tropics or with organized groups at any
time of year should
review their vaccination records to see if they should get
a flu shot.
Who should not get a flu shot
Influenza vaccine should not be given
to people who have a severe allergic reaction to eggs or egg
products. If
you have
a severe
allergic reaction to eggs and are at high risk of flu
complications, you might benefit from taking an antiviral medication,
such as amantadine or rimantadine
Additional information can
be found at: www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/flu/fluvirus.htm
Back to Contents
Hepatitis A vaccine (available at Student Health
Services- cost $59)
The hepatitis A virus causes a liver disease
that in some cases may be life-threatening. The disease is spread
by close contact
with someone who is infected with the virus (via food and water).
If you are going on Spring Break or traveling outside the U.S.
you should go to the www.cdc.gov/travel website to see if you should
receive the vaccine prior to travel. Hepatitis A is not very common
within the United States.
The U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization
Practices (ACIP) recommends the hepatitis A vaccine for:
- Anyone 2 years of age or older who is planning to travel
to a foreign country where sanitary conditions are poor and hepatitis
A is common.
- Children 2 years of age or older who live in states
with a high incidence of hepatitis A.
- People who use illegal drugs.
- Men who have sex with men.
- People who work with animals infected
with hepatitis A.
- People who have blood-clotting disorders, such
as hemophilia, and receive blood products from human donors.
- People who have long-term (chronic) liver disease.
Hepatitis A
vaccine should not be given to children younger than 2 years
of age.
Two doses of the vaccine are needed to provide immunity.
The second dose needs to be given 6 to 18 months after the first
dose, depending
on the vaccine brand.
Additional information can be found at:
www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/index.htm
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Hepatitis B vaccine (available at Student Health
Services- cost $45)
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) causes a liver infection
that can lead to serious complications. It is common in people
throughout the
world, particularly in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Hepatitis B
vaccine (Hep B) almost always prevents this infection, if you receive
all THREE vaccines it is 99% effective. The U.S. Advisory Committee
on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends the hepatitis B vaccine
for all children, from birth through 18 years of age. In addition,
adults without immunity who are at high risk for exposure should
be vaccinated.1 Testing for immunity to hepatitis B may be recommended
for adults who don't know whether they are immune. The Hepatitis
B vaccine is required for ALL Kindergartners and 7th graders in
the State of Minnesota. It is NOT a requirement at SCSU but is
a required vaccination at ALL University of Wisconsin schools.
Infant
immunizations
- Three injections provide long-lasting immunity. The
ACIP and the American Academies of Pediatrics and Family Physicians
recommend
that the baby receive the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine
at birth, before leaving the hospital.
Other children and adolescents
The hepatitis B vaccine should be
given to anyone 18 years of age or younger who has not previously
received it. Adoptees from countries
where HBV infection is common are especially at risk without immunization.
Adults
at high risk of exposure
Adults who have not received the hepatitis
B vaccine series should be immunized when they have an increased
risk of exposure. Occupation,
travel, health condition, or lifestyle may all increase a person's
risk of contracting hepatitis B.
People who live or work where there
is risk of exposure include:
- Health care workers and public safety workers who are
likely to be exposed to blood or blood products.
Clients and staff of institutions or residential settings with
known or potential HBV carriers.
People planning extended travel (more than 6 months) to China,
Southeast Asia, Africa, and other areas where hepatitis B viral
infection is high.
People who have health conditions that put them
at high risk for exposure include:
- People who have a severe kidney disease that requires
them to have their blood filtered through a machine (dialysis).
- Those
who have blood-clotting disorders, such as hemophilia, and
have received clotting factors from human donors.
People whose lifestyle
puts them at high risk for exposure include:
- People who inject illegal drugs.
- Men who have sex with men.
- People who have had more than one
sex partner in the past 6 months or who have a history of sexually
transmitted diseases.
- Household contacts and sex partners of
hepatitis B carriers.
- Prison inmates.
Immunization requires three injections. The first
and second injections should be given at least 1 month apart;
the third injection should
be given at least 2 months after the second injection and at
least 4 months after the first injection.
If the vaccination series
is interrupted and the spacing between doses is longer than recommended,
it is not necessary to start
the series over or add more doses. The series should be completed
from where it was interrupted.
Additional information can be
found at: www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/index.htm
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Chickenpox (Varicella) vaccine (offered
at Student Health Services- cost $61) *
Children
The chickenpox vaccine is recommended routinely for all
healthy children 12 months of age and older. Many states now
require that
children entering day care or school have the vaccine unless
they can show proof of immunity (doctor's diagnosis or blood test
results).
Teen and adults
Chickenpox can be a serious illness in teens and
adults. The vaccine is recommended for teens and adults who have
not been
vaccinated
and have not had chickenpox.
You can have a blood test to
check for immunity to chickenpox if you are not sure whether
you have had chickenpox or been
vaccinated. However, unless you have a compromised immune
system, you do
not
have to get this test before getting the chickenpox vaccination.
The vaccine is safe, even if you are already immune.
Only one shot of the vaccine for chickenpox is needed for
children under age 13. Anyone who gets the vaccine at 13
years of age
or older needs to get two shots at least 4 weeks apart.
For
additional information please go to: www.cdc.gov/nip/diseases/varicella
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Meningititis Vaccination- (available at
the Student Health Services for $73)
There are vaccines against Hib and against some strains of N.
meningitidis and many types of Streptococcus pneumoniae. The vaccines
against Hib are very safe and highly effective.
There is also a
vaccine that protects against four strains of N. meningitidis,
but it is not routinely used in the United States.
The vaccine against N. meningitidis is sometimes used to control
outbreaks of some types of meningococcal meningitis in the United
States. Meningitis cases should be reported to state or local
health departments to assure follow-up of close contacts and recognize
outbreaks. College freshman, especially those who live in dormitories
are at higher risk for meningococcal disease and should be educated
about the availability of a safe and effective vaccine which
can
decrease their risk. Although large epidemics of meningococcal
meningitis do not occur in the United States, some countries
experience large, periodic epidemics. Overseas travelers should
check to see
if meningococcal vaccine is recommended for their destination.
Travelers should receive the vaccine at least 1 week before departure,
if possible. Information on areas for which meningococcal vaccine
is recommended can be obtained by calling the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention at (404)-332-4565.
There are vaccines to prevent meningitis due to S. pneumoniae
(also called pneumococcal meningitis) which can also prevent other
forms of infection due to S. pneumoniae. The pneumococcal polysaccharide
vaccine is recommended for all persons over 65 years of age and
younger persons at least 2 years old with certain chronic medical
problems. There is a newly licensed vaccine (pneumococcal conjugate
vaccine) that appears to be effective in infants for the prevention
of pneumococcal infections and is routinely recommended for all
children greater than 2 years of age.
Additional information on
Meningitis: www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/diseases/meningococcal/collegefact.html
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Measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (available
at the Student Health Services- cost $50) *Required at SCSU
Measles,
mumps and rubella (MMR) were once very common childhood illnesses
in the United States. Today, these illnesses are very
rare because of widespread MMR vaccinations. Students are required
to show proof of one vaccination after their first birthday.
Children
For children, MMR immunization involves two injections
to provide lifelong immunity.
- The first is given between 12 and 15 months of age.
- The second
injection is recommended between 4 and 6 years of age. It should
be given no later than between 11 and 12 years of
age. The second injection can be given as soon as 4 weeks after the
first injection, as long as both doses are given after the
first birthday.
MMR immunization is sometimes given before a child is
1 year old, such as during a measles outbreak or in a country outside
the United
States. All MMR vaccinations given before a child is 1 must be
repeated after the child's first birthday.
Adults
Adults born before 1957 generally are considered immune
to measles and mumps. Other adults may need MMR vaccination, including:1
- Those born in 1957 or later who do not have a medical
contraindication. These people should receive at least one dose
of MMR vaccine unless
they can prove their immunity.
- All women of childbearing age
(adolescent girls and premenopausal adult women) who do not have
acceptable evidence of rubella
immunity. Acceptable evidence includes a positive blood test for the rubella
antibody or written evidence of prior vaccination.
- Health care
workers, college students, and international travelers.
Please
discuss with your doctor if you are unsure of your status.
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Diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus vaccines
(available at Student Health Services for $19) *Required at SCSU
Diphtheria
and whooping cough (pertussis) caused many deaths before vaccines
were developed. Tetanus (lockjaw) is a bacterial infection
that can result from a contaminated wound, and it is often fatal.
With proper immunization, these diseases are rare. In order to
be compliant with MN State Law, a student must have received a
tetanus booster within the past ten years.
Children
The DTaP vaccine prevents diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping
cough.
- Starting at the age of 2 months, a child will receive
a series of three injections, one dose every 2 months.
- A fourth
injection is given when the child is 12 to 18 months old, or
6 months after the third dose.
- A fifth injection is given when
the child is 4 to 6 years old.
- A booster tetanus and diphtheria
(Td) injection is given when the child is 11 to 12 years old,
if it has been at least 5 years
since the last dose was given.
Sometimes the fourth and fifth injections
of DTaP cause a more severe reaction (swelling and redness) at
the site than the first
three injections of the vaccines. When your baby receives a DTaP
vaccine, ask your health professional what to do if your baby has
such a reaction.
Adults
You should continue to get a diphtheria and tetanus (Td)
booster every 10 years throughout life. Keeping up to date with
Td boosters
is important because both of these diseases may be fatal, especially
in older adults.
A series of three Td injections is needed for an
adult receiving the vaccine for the first time. The second injection
is given 1
to 2 months after the first; the third injection is given 6 to
12 months later.
Whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine is not recommended
for children over 7 years old or for adults. A vaccine that combines
pertussis
with tetanus and diphtheria is now licensed in Canada. It may be
available soon in the United States.
** Students whose are uninsured
or their insurance does not cover a REQUIRED vaccination may be
eligible for a “special” rate.
Please call the S.C.S.U. Student Health Services and ask for Heather
at #320-308-4855. To receive additional information on the program
you can go to the Minnesota Department of Health website: www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/immunize/mnvfc/index.html
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