Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas Tis the season to gather and share pumpkin pie fun with family and friends and unfortunately bugs that can make people very sick. Physicians urge everyone to get a few key vaccinations now before holiday gatherings to help keep holidays healthy for the whole family from the babies to the grandparents.
Making sure youre protected from serious possibly deadly diseases helps prevent you from passing on an illness like flu that might prove much worse for a loved one said Erica Swegler MD an Austin family physician and member of the Texas Medical Associations (TMAs)
Be Wise ImmunizeSM Physician Advisory Panel. Infants pregnant women and the elderly are among those most at risk for developing a serious complication from an infectious disease that could be passed unintentionally to them.
The vaccinations that can most protect you and others this holiday season are:
- Influenza (or flu): Everyone six months of age and older including pregnant women needs a yearly shot.
- Tdap (protects against tetanus/lockjaw diphtheria and pertussis/whooping cough): Pregnant women need this shot in the third trimester of every pregnancy to protect their infant. Other adults need this shot once then a Td every 10 years. Children and teens who are up to date on their vaccinations should have received this shot as part of their childhood and adolescent vaccinations.
Whooping cough or pertussis is especially dangerous for infants. The
Texas Department of State Health Services says more than half of babies under 1 year of age who get pertussis must be hospitalized. Many will have serious complications like pneumonia or apnea (slowed or stopped breathing) and some become so sick they die. Thats why pregnant woman are encouraged to get a pertussis booster shot during pregnancy to protect their newborn infant.
However infants can catch pertussis from other family members or caregivers. Pertussis symptoms in teens and adults can be mild so a parent sibling cousin or an aunt or uncle might unknowingly spread pertussis to a baby.
If youll have an infant at your holiday gatherings its especially important other family members are up to date with their shots because the babies are too young to get vaccinated for some illnesses said C. Mary Healy MD another member of TMAs Be Wise Immunize Physician Advisory Panel.
And because babies require a series of pertussis vaccinations they are not fully protected from whooping cough until theyre close to 18 months of age.
Flu poses a threat too. Babies cant get vaccinated for flu until they are at least six months old. Flu shots are recommended for everyone older than six months including pregnant women.
Until they can get their shots babies rely on the vaccinations of those around them to avoid catching serious diseases said Dr. Healy a pediatric infectious disease specialist in Houston. And for both flu and whooping cough shots your body needs about two weeks to develop the best protection so you shouldnt wait to get vaccinated added Dr. Healy.
Flu can be serious for many people from the young to the old. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention more than 20000 U.S.
children younger than 5 years of age end up in the hospital each year because of flu complications such as pneumonia. Nearly 70 percent of hospitalizations from flu-related illness are in
people who are over age 65. And most (up to 85 percent) flu-related deaths are among the elderly. Flu can also cause pregnant women to go into labor early.
Vaccinations are one of the easiest and safest ways to protect yourself and those around you from getting sick said Dr. Swegler. Dont sideline yourself or someone else from holiday festivities this year by passing along an illness that could have been prevented ... and try to keep your distance (about 6 feet) from anyone who shows up sick at a holiday gathering to avoid catching germs from their sneezing or coughing said Dr. Swegler.
Based on your age and health conditions vaccinations are needed throughout your life to protect you from illnesses like pneumonia and shingles. Check with your doctor to make sure youve had all the shots you need.
TMA has these resources in English and Spanish for more information:
TMA is the largest state medical society in the nation representing more than 49000 physician and medical student members. It is located in Austin and has 110 component county medical societies around the state. TMAs key objective since 1853 is to improve the health of all Texans. TMA Foundation raises funds to support the public health and science priority initiatives of TMA and the Family of Medicine.
TMA actively works to improve immunization rates in Texas through its
Be Wise ImmunizeSM program. Be Wise works with local communities to give free and low-cost shots to Texans and educate people about the importance of vaccination. More than 300000 shots have been given to Texas children adolescents and adults through the Be Wise program since 2004.
Be Wise Immunize is a joint initiative led by TMA physicians medical students and the TMA Alliance. It is funded by TMA Foundation thanks to major gifts from H-E-B and TMF Health Quality Institute along with generous contributions from physicians and their families.
