Vaccines – A Different Focus

Over the last year and a half, we all spent a huge amount of time hearing, reading, and watching TV or media about vaccines. We became experts on viruses and how they spread. Most of us complied with the guidance when COVID-19 first hit, we hunkered down, wore masks and, while seniors initially bore the brunt of COVID deaths, a lot of us made it through. We got vaccinated and we were told that finally we didn’t have to wear masks, we could see our kids and grandkids, and even sit down and eat inside a restaurant . . . and then the Delta variant threw us a curve. Once again, we find ourselves wading through voluminous amounts of information, talking to those we trust and deciding how to respond to this new threat. Now, you might think I’m going to begin a long and drawn-out discussion about how to react to this new challenge but you’re wrong, at least mostly. As the title suggests, I’ve decided to focus on a different aspect of vaccinations.

Over the last year and a half, we have been laser focused on COVID-19. This focus, along with the fear of venturing out, even to see our doctor, has caused another health problem that we desperately need to recognize and react to. I’m talking about all the other periodic vaccinations that we may have canceled or postponed, vaccinations that we really need to keep us healthy.

While the flu was virtually nonexistent for the 2020/2021 season, due to our mask wearing and our social distancing, pneumonia was not so lucky. According to CDC statistics from 2017 through 2020 the average number of weekly deaths due to pneumonia was 4,434. I used the first week of January of each year since that seemed to be the height of the flu and pneumonia season. What surprised me was the number of deaths for the first week of January in 2021 (the depth of the pandemic), 16,852 died of pneumonia. I was taken back by this huge increase in pneumonia deaths. Now I don’t know all the reasons for this sudden increase, but I do know that many older people I’ve talked with have put off going to the doctor to get their periodic vaccinations.

Most of the medicine we take is to treat a disease or health issue are for illnesses we already have. The magic of many vaccines is they keep us from getting sick. There are a precious few medicines that can cure a disease. What a gift it is to have access to disease preventing vaccines. We need to refocus on taking advantage of these marvelous discoveries.

I was lucky enough a few weeks ago to be selected to give oral comments to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). These are a group of experts that advise our government healthcare leaders on what immunization guidelines should be followed by our healthcare providers. I focused on encouraging them to include recently approved vaccines for pneumonia in their recommendations. My goal then, and my goal now, is to ensure you have access to all the preventative vaccines available and to encourage you to get your required vaccines.

I would be remiss if I didn’t plead with you to get vaccinated immediately for COVID-19 if you haven’t already. According to Axios.com, if you’ve been vaccinated for COVID-19, you have less than a 0.1% of testing positive for COVID-19 and all of its variants. If you know someone who hasn’t been vaccinated, listen to them, listen to why they haven’t chosen to be vaccinated. Tell them how liberated you felt when you got vaccinated.

This month is National Immunization Month. It is an ideal time to make an appointment with your doctor to discuss what vaccinations you need going into the fall flu and pneumonia season. Tell your friends how important it is to get vaccinated. The best defense against all of the viruses out there and the other health problems you may have is to protect yourself from those ailments that are preventable.

Best, Thair