Protecting Our Future: The Lifesaving Power of Vaccines During National Immunization Awareness Month
By Emily Bush, MD, Pediatrician
August is National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM), an annual observance first recognized in 2013 to highlight the importance of vaccination for people of all ages. Health Partnership Clinic remains committed to keeping patients healthy by helping them stay up to date on recommended vaccines based on age, occupation, or other factors, such as underlying health conditions.
This is a valuable opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of vaccination and encourage individuals to speak with their health care providers about staying current on their immunizations.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines immunization as the process of gaining protection against disease. While the terms “immunization” and “vaccination” are often used interchangeably, they are slightly different: vaccines are the tools used for immunization, designed to stimulate the body’s immune response against diseases. Most vaccines are given by injection, but some—like the oral rotavirus vaccine, given to infants at two and four months of age—are administered differently.
Vaccines protect us from many dangerous, preventable diseases, including varicella (chickenpox), influenza (flu), hepatitis, measles, mumps, meningococcal disease, pneumonia, shingles, pertussis (whooping cough), polio and more. Immunization not only helps protect individuals and their loved ones from getting sick, but it also helps prevent the spread of disease to those who cannot be vaccinated, such as infants or individuals with compromised immune systems.
Vaccines have significantly reduced, and in some cases eradicated, serious illnesses that once caused widespread disability and death. Polio, for example, crippled thousands—including President Franklin D. Roosevelt—before the vaccine was introduced in 1955. The widespread use of the polio vaccine led to the elimination of the disease in the United States by 1979.
August is also back-to-school season, which often brings reminders about vaccine requirements for children entering certain grades. While it’s important to stay on top of these requirements, there are also other recommended vaccines that are just as vital for protecting against disease. One example is the HPV vaccine—a safe and highly effective way to prevent infection with certain types of human papillomavirus, which can cause various cancers and genital warts.
Many people think of vaccines as something for children, but adults also need to stay up to date. Routine adult immunizations may include the Tdap booster—recommended every 10 years to protect against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis. The Tdap is also advised during each pregnancy to help protect newborns from these infections. Adults over age 50 should receive two doses of the shingles vaccine, and those 65 and older should receive the pneumonia vaccine. The CDC also recommends that nearly everyone age 6 months and older receive an annual flu vaccine, typically administered in the fall before flu season begins, for the best protection.
Vaccines remain one of the most effective ways to protect ourselves, our families and our communities. This August, take a moment to review your immunization history and give us a call at 913-648-2266 to schedule an appointment or attend our Pediatric Walk-In Clinic Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. at 407 S. Clairborne Rd., Ste. 104, Olathe, KS 66062.
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A sports physical is a separate type of visit, although depending on when it is needed, your provider may complete it along with the school physical. To participate in sports at a certain level in the state of Kansas, a child must have completed a comprehensive evaluation for full participation. The sports physical takes an in-depth look at the patient’s history as well as the family history. Many problems and health conditions can be caught during these evaluations that can help reduce morbidity and mortality through organized activities. When left unaddressed, your child is at a greater risk of major health problems and concerns related to participation in strenuous activity. Not only is it necessary to have this done for the school, but it is also imperative this full assessment of a child is done for their own safety.
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Stay home if you are sick.
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Depending on the age of your child, write down or have them write down everything they have to do to get ready for school. Be very detailed. Have them practice doing these things and time them to make it a game.
Health Partnership Clinic offers back-to-school and sports physicals at all our clinic sites, including Olathe, Shawnee Mission, Paola and Ottawa. At the Olathe site, we offer a Walk-In Pediatric Clinic, Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m. to Noon.
Most importantly, wash your hands on a regular basis (before eating, after eating, after using the restroom, etc.) and sneeze in your arms not in your hands.
We are participating in the Federal program to distribute COVID-19 Home Testing Kits. You can pick up kits at our clinic locations by asking the front desk. Limit two per household member.
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A: I believe in each of the COVID vaccines. Many of the vaccine manufacturers have been studying their effects in children and young adults for several months prior to their recent approval. I agree with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recent approval of vaccinating individuals 12 and over. I believe the regulators have done a nice job of balancing the benefits of vaccination with a measure of deliberateness needed to make sure each vaccine is safe in younger age groups. Bottom line: I would not hesitate to give my own child a vaccine approved for use by the CDC.
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As a general rule, I only like one combination product to be used at a time, like Dayquil in the morning, Nyquil in the evening, in addition to plain ibuprofen for muscle aches. It is too easy to take too much of one individual medication if you take multiple combination products. Dayquil and Nyquil both contain acetaminophen, so if you take additional acetaminophen on top of that you can damage your liver. Advil/ibuprofen is in a different drug class than Tylenol/ibuprofen, so it is fine to combine ibuprofen doses with Dayquil/Nyquil. Easiest thing to do is to ask a pharmacist when you are there at the pharmacy!
Deciding when to go to the ER, can be tricky. Any of my patients telling me they feel short of breath is always concerning. A patient that is struggling to breathe, using chest and throat muscles to breathe, or running out of air with only talking always gets me worried. A fever that cannot be controlled at home with antipyretics such as Tylenol/acetaminophen or Advil/ibuprofen, or a temperature over 103.5 degrees Fahrenheit is also a good reason to go to the ER. A child that is not drinking normally and has dry mucous membranes is also concerning, and if the parent is concerned for their child, their instincts are usually right on the nose. However, if you have a slight sore throat and/or manageable symptoms, stay home and call the clinic!
