Immunization: Just Kid Stuff?

Immunization: just kids’ stuff, eh?

No, my daring derby devastators, protecting yourself from disease is not just for kids. Adults never outgrow their need for vaccines. I have found many of our skaters do not know what they have had or what they need to have.

Think - you get an open wound on the track - when was your last tetanus shot? If it’s a normal, not-too-dirty injury, it could be up to 10 years ago and you'll be alright. If it’s a really dirty wound, only five years should have elapsed.

Think - you have a new baby or sweet new nephew - when did you last have your pertussis (whooping cough) immunization boosted? If it wasn’t since kindergarten, you could contract whooping cough and spread it to the baby. Most cases of whooping cough in the U.S. occur in people over 10 years old, and there were over 25,000 cases last year. If children under 1 year old haven’t had all their immunizations and get it, they are likely to suffer severe complications, even death.

Did you get “flu” last winter? You could have pretty much avoided it or at least had a mild case.

Did you know human papillomavirus vaccine prevents cervical cancer?

What I’m getting at is: you wear protective gear and train to prevent injuries, so shouldn’t you prevent illnesses as well? We really like healthy and uninjured skaters!

Two things I would suggest:

1) get a list of all the immunizations you have had (from your doctor, old school records, your parents), make a copy, and keep it; and

2) read the list of vaccines above (click the image to expand) and make sure you are truly up-to-date.