Roy Exum
I am told that at a gathering of the medical staff at Erlanger Hospital the other day, my infectious disease doctor – Jay Sizemore – stood to warn his fellow physicians and health care providers that this season’s flu bug will be a big one. Then he asked several nurses to come forward and, with an ample supply of vaccines on hand, he quite literally told everyone in the room to roll their sleeves up and soon inoculated almost everyone who was there.
That was so heartening to me, especially after Donald Trump cited vaccines as a possible cause of autism during the recent presidential debate and my star – neurosurgeon Ben Carson – didn’t do enough to quell the ridiculous notion vaccines are our No.
1 safeguard against diseases that can and will kill thousands of Americans this winter.
Dr. Carson did respond, “We have extremely well-documented proof that there is no autism connected with vaccines,” and, on the American of Pediatrics website you can read summaries of over 20 studies that clearly debunk the insidious claim that vaccines aren’t good for you. Vaccines, as we all know except ‘The Donald,’ keep people from dying. Remember polio? Along came Jonas Salk and today our young have never even heard of polio or an “iron lung.” When I was a kid I visited another kid in an “iron lung” and remember it to this very day.
In the debate, I felt Dr. Carson went a step too far. “Vaccines are very important, certain ones – the ones that prevent death or crippling,” he said. “There are others, a multitude of vaccines that don’t fit in that category, and there should be some discretion in those cases.” As Tara Haelle later wrote in Forbes, “I’d like to know which childhood vaccines we should ‘use discretion’ with” – all of them keep people from dying!
I will carry a disease called osteomyelitis in my body until I die. It is bone-borne and I’ll have it until I croak. Since there is no way to get rid of it, you better believe I take every vaccination I possibly can. I wash my hands with soap and warm water – forget that sanitizer goo – and as an “at risk patient,” I beg everyone I can to get a flu shot every year. In 2013 (the last statistics available) the Centers for Disease Control believe that 56,979 died from the flu and/or pneumonia.
Last year was a horrible flu season because the vaccine turned out to be less ineffective for some of the strains that came to visit. This year the CDC is assured there are 175 million doses now available that will be much better. It is estimated, depending on the year, between 5 and 20 percent of Americans will get the flu. We also have data that tells us the flu costs businesses in the United States 111 million workdays, or $7 billion worth of sick days and lost productivity.
But during the 2011-2012 flu season, it is strongly believed the flu vaccine prevented 6.6 million cases of the “bug,” which amounts to the entire population of Arizona.
What side of the argument should you take that makes the most common sense? I called the Walgreen’s where I get prescriptions filled and they offer vaccines for the flu, pneumonia, Hepatitis-A. Hepatitis-B, shingles, HPV (guards against cervical cancer), chicken pox and some more. The cost depends on what health insurance you have, but if you don’t have insurance, the fee for the flu shot is $39.95.
The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department will begin giving flu shots in several weeks, but usually there are “free days” sponsored by hospitals and other groups so keep your eyes on the media in the weeks to come. The big thing is never wait too long. Flu season usually begins in October and lasts through February and common sense tells you the longer the vaccine is in your body the more effective it will be.
People who are over 60 should get a flu shot, the pneumonia vaccine (which is once every five years), the Zoster vaccine (over one million people in the US get shingles every year), and a TD vaccine (tetanus, diphtheria). Trust me, nobody wants “lockjaw,” despite the fact there may be some like me you’d like to wish it upon at times.
Any person who is “at risk” should follow the same guidelines because just about every disease preys on the most susceptible. A full 60 percent of flu cases that are severe enough to be admitted to hospitals are people over 65 years old. The older you are, the worse it can get as evidenced by the ancient saying, “Pneumonia is the friend of the aged.”
Younger, stronger people? The chances are you’ll get a younger, stronger case of flu without the shot. And to the guy who says he’s never had the flu so he doesn’t need the shot … trust me, brother, it is a terrible lesson to endure so why gamble? Then there is this: even without the flu you can transmit the germs to another person. Go to church any Sunday, shake everybody’s hands and – whammo – you could unknowingly give your brother in Christ one hellish week in bed. The same with your spouse or your kids.
Germs don’t play fair, and I know what I am talking about. Studies have shown a cold virus can live on human skin for about three hours. When you leave a big crowd during flu season, your chances of getting or passing along the flu reduce tremendously by simply washing your hands with soap and warm water. It is a huge part of germ control.
There is a good over-the-counter product called Theraflu that I buy every fall because it is most effective the quicker you get a dose of it if you come down with the flu. But the big thing is to get a flu shot. In case you haven’t noticed, Septembers ends in less than a week. When does flu season begin? October. Please get the shot.
royexum@aol.com