Why vaccinations are important

After clean water, vaccinations have had the second largest positive impact upon human life span. Vaccines help to prevent deaths from pneumonia, flu, hepatitis, diphtheria, whooping cough, meningitis, cervical cancer and more.

What's the latest on the flu vaccine?

Flu causes just as many deaths as car accidents due to the complications of pneumonia. The flu vaccine can be administered now through March of 2015 although peak flu season is usually in January and February.

The regular flu shot is indicated for patients age 6 months and older. Flu can be particularly detrimental to the following high risk groups:

• Individuals 50 years of age and older

• Children younger than five years, but especially those under 2 years.

• Women who are or will be pregnant during the flu season

• People with chronic medical conditions (i.e., lung, heart etc.)

• People with immunosuppression

• American Indians/Alaska Natives

• People who are morbidly obese (i.e., BMI >40)

• Residents of nursing home or chronic care facilities.

The common myth that people can get the flu from the flu vaccine is simply not true. This valuable vaccine is not live at all. Although the current flu vaccine is identical to last year's flu vaccine, you should get a flu vaccine this season.

The quadrivalent flu vaccine contains 4 strains of flu; two type A and two type B. It is approved for ages 6 months and older. The flu shot is typically administered by injection, but there is a live attenuated nasal spray vaccine (FluMist) which is available and is approved for ages 2 to 49. There is also a vaccine that is approved for patients with egg allergy (FluBlok) but it is only indicated for ages 18 to 49.

Finally, there is a high dose flu vaccine which can be administered at age 65 and over. It is generally not available at drugstores.

According to a recent New England Journal of Medicine article, the high dose flu shot reduced the flu by 25 percent over the standard flu vaccine. Interestingly, the incidence of side effects was the same in both groups. The antibody response is clearly more robust in the high dose group.

Prior to this study, local reactions were slightly higher in the high dose flu vaccine.

Tamiflu can be used orally if you get the flu but it only shortens the course by one day. It is best used in high risk individuals such as the elderly.

Nearly 200,000 hospital visits occur yearly due to the flu. The flu shot begins working in two weeks and lasts the entire season. Get your vaccination today.

Can shingles be prevented?

Zostavax, the shingles vaccine, helps to prevent shingles or at the minimum reduces the severity of the disease.

This illness results from incubating chickenpox virus. It migrates into the spinal cord after causing a rash. Years later, it manifests as a blistering painful rash that is often located on the trunk but it may affect the eyes 10 percent of the time and cause blindness.

Many patients can get post herpetic neuralgia or chronic nerve pain resulting from shingles. Almost every person age 50 or older has had the chickenpox at some point in their lives even if it is not remembered.

Zostavax is a live attenuated vaccine that is indicated at age 50 and older. It can reduce the incidence of shingles by 70 percent at age 50. It should not be given to people who are immunocompromised. Headache and arm soreness are the two most common side effects.

The cost varies depending on your insurance coverage, but cost averages a little over $200. I recommend this vaccine as an excellent investment in your health.

Should I get the pertussis vaccine?

The tetanus/pertussis vaccine (Adacel or Boostrix) should be given to all seniors at least once even if a recent tetanus vaccine has been administered.

Each dose contains both tetanus and pertussis. By vaccinating seniors, their grandchildren will be at lower risk of contracting this highly contagious disease that can lead to pneumonia. Often young grandchildren haven't yet completed their pertussis vaccinations and are more vulnerable to exposure.

Given that last year was one of the worst years ever for whooping cough (pertussis), the Center for Disease Control (CDC) may recommend it every 10 years in the future.

The pros and cons of the HPV vaccine

Both Cervarix and Gardasil vaccines protect against HPV types 16 and 18, which cause 70 percent of cases of cervical cancer. Both vaccines are given in three doses over six months and both cost about $400-$500 for the whole series.

Cervarix might provide longer immunity. It also seems to offer more cross-protection against some HPV types that aren't in the vaccine. However, Gardasil also protects against HPV types 6 and 11 which cause genital warts in both men and women.

Gardasil is now approved for males and females ages 9 to 26 to prevent genital warts. It helps to prevent genital warts and cervical cancer in females but only prevents warts in males. Gardasil can also prevent the transmission of genital warts in both sexes. Women getting either vaccine should continue to have routine Pap smears.

Studies have reported clots, seizures and severe allergic reactions, however, such an association has not been proven.

Who needs the pneumonia vaccine?

Pneumonia is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States. Several thousand deaths occur in America each year due to pneumococcus, with most of the cases occurring in adults.

Pneumococcal polysaccharide (PNEUMOVAX®), a non-live vaccine, has been recommended for the prevention of invasive pneumococcal disease in adults since 1997. One dose of the vaccine is recommended for all adults at age 65 or later.

A single dose is also recommended for individuals 19 through 64 with chronic illnesses, such as cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease including asthma, diabetes, alcoholism, chronic liver disease, cigarette smokers, and those who are residents of nursing homes or long-term care facilities.

A pneumococcal vaccine has been recently shown to prevent hospitalizations from pneumonia, so the elderly and high risk individuals should receive this vaccination.

These vaccinations and others can have a major impact upon the health and well-being of you and your family. See your doctor at your earliest convenience to be vaccinated.

• Evan Lipkis, M.D. is a physician, author and lecturer based in Glenview. The advice contained in this column is for informational purposes only. Readers should consult with a physician to evaluate any illness or medical condition. Contact Dr. Lipkis through his website at: www.drlipkis.com