Have you ever felt invincible? Your life is full, your plate is full, you and your family are healthy, and that’s the way it’s going to stay. A year and a half ago my husband and I were feeling that way. Our first baby was due in a few months, we were both working long hours, we were about to move, we had just returned from vacation… then we were stopped in our tracks when my husband was diagnosed with a serious illness and a few months later our daughter arrived five weeks premature.
Happily, all three of us are healthy now but these events changed my perspective on many things, including community health. I became acutely aware of how the people I came in contact with everyday could possibly impact my little family and our health. Every time a co-worker came to work looking feverish or the person next to me on the bus coughed I held my breath and said a prayer hoping I wouldn’t bring an illness home to my husband or daughter and their compromised immune systems.
We moved from New York City to Houston just as the flu was beginning to hit Texas hard and I started thinking about community health again. I knew I needed to protect my family from the flu as best as I could, but I also wanted to protect those who may be vulnerable in the way my husband and daughter were during the last cold and flu season. So, one of the first appointments I made was for my daughter’s nine month check-up where she received her vaccine and the next day, with her in one arm a pharmacist administered my shot in the other.
A few weeks later I had a popular medical talk show on in the background and stopped in my tracks. One of the experts on the segment said she did not recommend getting a flu shot unless you were at risk for complications from the influenza because the effectiveness rate was too low (roughly 60%) to warrant the need for the vaccine. I wanted to shake her through the T.V. and say, “Flu shots don’t just protect a healthy person from getting sick!”
A flu shot is one of the simplest ways to protect yourself, your family and your community from spreading this common, yet potentially deadly disease. So, if you’re feeling invincible when flu season arrives, think about the new mother in your office whose infant is too young to receive the vaccine, or the man behind you in line who’s going through chemotherapy and can’t receive a flu shot or the sweet elderly woman you sat next to at church who the vaccine is the least effective for—then, think about getting a flu shot.

It’s very simple.  If you don’t make money, you fail to exist.  This holds true for every major corporation, every charity, every non-profit, every small business owner, and the list goes on from there.  The highly regulated vaccine industry is a long, tedious, and involved process.  To create, test, and produce a vaccine in mass quantities takes years from start to finish.  Researchers must first study a particular virus or bacteria before scientists can even begin to formulate a vaccine.  Once a vaccine has been studied and developed in a laboratory, only then is it allowed to begin a four phase testing process which takes years to complete and can cost hundreds of millions of dollars in bills.  Even after a vaccine has been distributed, it will still be studied for many more years to make sure there are no unforeseen side effects.  Again, this all costs money.

Nothing in life is free.  Everything costs money to produce and vaccines are no exception.  If pharmaceutical companies were unable to pay for the creation and distribution of vaccines, they would fail to exist.  So do vaccine makers profit from their discoveries and creations?  Yes.  But why is that any different from your doctor, your pastor, or even an employee of a charity being paid for their time and services?  The truth is, it’s not.  Vaccines are one of the most valuable scientific advancements the world has ever seen, and as with all great scientific discoveries there is a price tag associated with the technology, research, and safety measures that are put into place to create and distribute them.  Countless dollars are spent each year to help make our world safer through immunizations and I for one believe that these discoveries are priceless.

With this one year anniversary also comes another major milestone in my life as my husband and I prepare to welcome our third child this month.  I am sure that our sweet little one’s birth will inspire new stories and experiences that I look forward to sharing with you all in the near future.  That being said, I am taking a short break from the blog to care for and adjust to this new addition in our lives.  In my absence, I have prepared several articles in advance and I am very excited to say that there will be some fantastic guest blogs and articles for you to enjoy each week.  I truly appreciate those who have agreed to contribute in my absence and I am certain you will all enjoy their insight and experiences.

I wish you all the best while I take this time for myself and my family.  I’ll be back soon to continue writing about this important issue.

Alana

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On April 24- 25 we will be recognizing and advocating for Meningitis Awareness with World Meningitis Day and Texas Meningitis Awareness Day.  You ask – Why and who am I to be writing about this horrible, but yet vaccine preventable disease?  I am the mother of a child who survived Meningitis, unfortunately most people who are stricken with Meningitis are not so lucky and do not survive.  My daughter Jamie survived but at a cost.

On November 13th 2008, my daughter Jamie Schanbaum, who by the way was a second year student at the University of Texas Austin, was rushed to the Hospital just not feeling good – at all. Two days later, Jamie and our family learned she had contracted meningococcal septicemia. This disease is similar to meningitis. Instead of infiltrating the brain and spinal cord, the bacterium infects the blood. Meningococcal septicemia has a higher fatality rate than typical meningitis. The state health department informed us that one in ten people is a carrier of this particular bacterium which resides in the nose or throat. You can have it and not be affected by it, but something as simple as a cold or a stomach virus can cause this bacteria to work its way into your blood system, which is what happened to Jamie. Jamie survived, though sadly she lost both legs below the knee and all her fingers. They had to be amputated as a direct result of her infection.

As the mother of 4 children (Jamie is my youngest) I had followed the advice of my pediatrician and had my children vaccinated with all recommended vaccines.  I’m educated, I’m smart and I know it all – or so I thought – but more importantly I assumed my pediatrician knew it all.  Not only was I not educated about the meningitis vaccine but I definitely knew nothing of the horrific causes of this disease.  It’s very important as parents that we become knowledgeable on all the vaccines, diseases and recommendations.  Make an educated decision on protecting your children.

It’s been a little over 4 years since Jamie was stricken with meningitis and life as we once knew has changed but in most causes for the best.  We have passed a law in Texas requiring all entering students to have the meningitis vaccine – The Jamie Schanbaum/Nicolis Williams Act.  Jamie is a gold and silver medalist on the US Paralympic Cycling Team and she is back in school at UT (Hook em’) and living life fully as a 24 year old.  Jamie and I do our part to inform and educate to insure that parents also make an informed and educated decision on vaccination.   My hope is that every prevent illness by protecting your loved ones with vaccine preventable diseases.

I bring these up to serve as a reminder that the unexpected happens.  Some things you can’t prepare for.  Cowards found a way to turn this year’s Boston Marathon into what should have been a day filled with celebrations of accomplishment into heartache, fear and, terror.  In West, Texas, no one expected to end their day searching for loved ones, evacuating a city, or dealing with the loss of life, but yet it happened in the blink of an eye.

Loss is loss and tragedy is tragedy no matter how it happens.  That being said, these situations are heart-breaking and a reminder that we have to do what we can, when we can, to protect ourselves and our loved ones.  Being at the wrong place, at the wrong time is all it takes to change a life forever.  Please understand that I am in no way trying to compare either of these events to one another or to vaccines.  That is truly not my intention.  My sole purpose in writing this today is simply to say that the loss or injury of a loved one is tragic no matter the circumstances surrounding it.  I want to make it clear, my words are simply meant to encourage you to take advantage of an opportunity to protect yourself when you can.  I’m not promoting or speaking about one vaccine or another.  I write this only to encourage you to stay safe, in every aspect of your life, which does include staying up-to-date on vaccinations.

My heart goes out to all those who have been affected in Boston and in West, Texas.  It is so senseless and so heartbreaking to hear story after story of suffering and fear.  Stay safe people and remember to protect yourself and prevent what is preventable.

For approximately 1 million Americans, the chickenpox they endured as a child will return in in the form of shingles each year and vaccination is the only method of prevention.  Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is caused by the varicella zoster virus that first presented itself as chickenpox.  Once this viral infection has infected the body, it does not leave.  It may lie dormant and never present a problem after the initial infection, but there is no guarantee.  It is estimated that people in their sixties run a thirty percent chance of developing the vaccine-preventable disease while nearly half of people in their eighties will be affected according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  It is also worth noting that people with compromised immune systems due to conditions such as cancer, organ transplants, and autoimmune disorders are at an increased risk of developing shingles.

Shingles usually starts as a painful rash on one side of the face or body that begins to blister and then scab in 7-10  days, clearing up in 2-4  weeks.  Shingles can cause fever, headache, chills and an upset stomach, and in rare cases the rash can be widespread and can even affect the eye, causing loss of vision in extreme cases.  Some unfortunate victims may suffer from postherpetic neuralgia, or pain caused by nerve damage, for weeks, months, or even years.  This nerve damage can actually cause skin to be so sensitive that the touch of clothing can cause excruciating pain.

As is the case with most vaccine-preventable diseases, passing on immunization has a broader impact than you may think.  Shingles IS contagious and CAN be spread from an affected person to babies, children, or even adults who have not had OR been fully vaccinated against chickenpox.   A person without natural or acquired (immunized) immunity to the virus will not develop shingles, instead chickenpox will be the ailment that causes time off from school, work, or even a hospital stay should complications arise.

For my grandmother, shingles was not a one-time event.  She developed shingles, not once, not twice, but three times and suffered years of pain caused by nerve damage.  For her, there was no preventative measure as the vaccine was not available, but you have a choice.  You can avoid the painful, preventable infection.  Don’t suffer unnecessarily.  Get vaccinated today and save yourself, and possibly someone else, from a vaccine-preventable disease!

There is one moment of the day that stands out above all the rest.  As I was sitting in a Senator’s office with my fellow vaccine advocates, we began discussing an amendment to Senate Bill 62 which deals with vaccination against bacterial meningitis of entering students at public and private colleges and universities.   During that meeting the father of Nicolis Williams, a college student who tragically lost his life to the deadly disease in 2011 was in the room.  When he told the Senator’s health advisor his story, her jaw literally dropped.  The look of shock and disbelief on her face was evident.  She had no idea that meningitis could strike so quickly and have such devastating consequences.  What we expected to be a ten minute meeting quickly turned into 30 minutes.   This assistant realized not only the importance of this bill, but also the critical need for vaccination to prevent another tragedy.  The story and the facts that we shared that day made the consequences of vaccine-preventable disease very real and we made an impact.

I am here to tell you that your voice really does make a difference.   Contact your Senators and your Representatives.  Let them know that you are not only aware of the issues, but that you want your voice to be heard!  I am proud to say that mine was heard and I was able to play a part in helping make our state a safer place to live.  I look forward to attending this great event again next year, but I certainly don’t plan to remain silent until that time!

So what do we hope to accomplish during our visits?  Here is a brief summary of four immunization related bills currently being discussed in the 83^rd Texas Legislative session:

1. Meningitis SB 62 (Nelson)/HB 565 (Laubenberg): This bill aims to revise the age requirement for the meningitis vaccine law, by eliminating the immunization requirement for students 22 years of age and older.  The revision also establishes DSHS as the only state agency allowed to grant exemption affidavits to students and eliminates the THECB exemption form.
2. ImmTrac Immunization Registry HB 772 and HB 771 (D. Howard): In combination, these bills would allow all child immunization data to be automatically stored in ImmTrac, unless a parent chooses to opt-out. This bill also strikes language that requires the state to purge immunization records once a child turns 18.  Additionally, this bill would require immunization data to continue to be stored in ImmTrac after an individual turns 18. The records will be preserved in the system until the individual turns 26, unless the individual chooses to opt-out of the registry. This bill ensures that immunization data is available for young adults to facilitate adherence to education and employment requirements.
3. Child Care Provider Immunization SB64 (Nelson)/HB 1150 (Zerwas):  This bill requires licensed child-care facilities to develop and implement a policy to protect the children in its care from vaccine-preventable diseases. Policies are to include: 1) identification of which vaccines are required for their employees based on their contact with children, 2) procedures for verifying compliance with vaccine policies, 3) procedures for medical exemptions, 4) procedures that unvaccinated employees must follow to ensure the children are protected from exposure to disease, 5) requirements that facilities maintain a system for documenting the vaccination status of their employees, and 6) disciplinary actions that facilities are authorized to take against employees who fail to comply with the policies. The bill states that child-care facility policies may include procedures for an employee to be exempt from vaccinations based upon reasons of conscience. However, it is not required.
4. Consent For Minors SB63 (Nelson): This bill would allow minors with children to consent to their own immunization. Specifically, the bill would “a child may consent to the child’s own immunization if the child: (1) is pregnant; or (2) is the parent of a child and has actual custody of that child.”

Check back on Friday for an update and more details about our visit!

So does this eliminate the need for cocooning? Absolutely not. It is still very important that ALL family members and caregivers go out and get vaccinated at least two weeks before coming into contact with an infant, but this new recommendation provides just one more level of protection. In 2010, 27,550 cases of pertussis were reported in the U.S.; 3,350 of those were in infants younger than 6 months of age. Tragically 25 of those infants died. It is expected that vaccinating expectant mothers will prevent more infant hospitalization and deaths from pertussis than cocooning alone.

Pertussis is serious and can cause life-threatening complications in infants, especially within the first 6 months of life. The younger the infant, the more likely treatment in the hospital will be needed. Of those hospitalized, approximately 1 in 5 will get pneumonia and 1 in 100 will die. Don’t let your child become a statistic. Take the time to get vaccinated!

Why is that?  Why is there such hesitancy and opposition towards vaccines that have all but eliminated diseases that once claimed innocent lives?  I believe there are two explanations.  First, everyone knows someone or knows of someone whose life has been affected by the diseases I mentioned before.  We have all seen or heard about the horrible side effects of chemotherapy and the devastation a family experiences when a loved one unexpectedly dies from a heart attack or stroke.  We know these stories and can imagine ourselves experiencing the same tragedy.  On the flip side, images of polio and iron lungs, smallpox, and even mumps seem more like gruesome tales of ancient times.  I cannot begin to wrap my mind around the thought of pools being closed in the summers for fear that my child would contract polio.  It seems more like a horror story than real life for many of us with young children, but this was very real for the grandparents of today’s young children.  It is pretty amazing that vaccines for such terrible diseases were developed just 2 generations ago.

The second reason?  Far too many people do not understand the possible consequences of some seemingly mild vaccine-preventable diseases.  Chickenpox (varicella) for example is commonly thought to be nothing more than a mild illness associated with a rash and itchy skin.  Nothing a nice oatmeal bath and some Calamine lotion can’t fix, right?  The truth is the disease can be quite severe resulting in very serious complications such as pneumonia, infection or inflammation of the brain, toxic shock syndrome, or even death.  Prior to the availability of the vaccine, varicella resulted in approximately 10,600 hospitalizations each year and lead to 100’s of deaths annually.

I hope we can continue to develop vaccines that will help eradicate many of the diseases that currently plague our nation.  Maybe one day we will even have to remind people of the devestating consequences that heart disease and diabetes once caused.  In the meantime, it is important to remember that we do have the power to prevent so many illnesses that once claimed countless innocent lives each year.  Take advantage of the protection that vaccines offer.  The power of prevention is in your hands.