Dr. Zorba Paster: Throughout history, vaccines have been lifesavers
Every year at this time, I get questions about what shots to get. I'm not talking about kids' shots (I'll talk about that another time), but I mean adult immunizations.
Now, for you antivaxxers out there, let me tell you that we conquered diphtheria, tetanus, measles, mumps, pertussis, rubella and polio using vaccines. I remember my mom making me roll up my sleeve in grammar school to get that polio shot as soon as it was available.
And let us not forget smallpox, which killed 2 million — count them, 2 million people — every year in the early 1900s. And smallpox has been wiped out, thanks to vaccines. The U.S. and Russia, who have the virus in storage, have said that they would both destroy it. If they did, then the virus would be gone, gone, gone. But neither the U.S. nor Russia trusted each other, so at least two copies of the virus are in "secure" storage.
Hmm ... amazing what politicians do to "keep us safe?" So if you're against vaccines, you're against public health.
Now, on to what I recommend. Since the new COVID shot has been approved, I recommend that sometime soon this fall, you get your annual flu shot and COVID shot at the same time. You might think there are more complications when you get them both at once, but you're wrong.
The benefit is that giving both shots at once gives you a better immune response. And that's especially true of seniors, like I am. Side effects include pain at the injection site, especially with the COVID shot, and sometimes a bit of a fever.
You might feel a bit down and out for a few days after getting these vaccines, but that's far better than getting either viral infection.
Another vaccine out there is for RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends this one-and-done shot for everyone over 75 and folks over 65 who are at risk. That means if you have any concurrent problem like hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart disease or diabetes, roll up your sleeve. We think of RSV as a kids' infection, but about 100,000 adults land in the hospital every year — with 10,000 deaths. That's a whopping number.
What about the HPV vaccine, for the human papillomavirus? It's best given to kids and adults up to 26, but the CDC now hedges its bets, saying it can be given to people up to 45. Folks, this is the only cancer vaccine we have. HPV, which is spread by sexual contact, causes cancers such as cancer of the penis and anus, cervical cancer, and head and neck cancers of the throat, base of the tongue and tonsils. If you've ever kissed someone somewhere on their body from their tongue to their crotch you may have come into contact with HPV. The exception to this is if those who engaged in sex have both been absolutely virginal forever.
The HPV vaccine is most effective when given to middle-school kids, but many parents worry that if they give the immunization to kids, it will encourage them to have sex at a young age. I don't understand that reasoning and frankly it upsets me a lot. I love a good quote. Back in the early 1900s, cultural critic H.L. Mencken said: "Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public." Perhaps this applies to this case.
I know that sounds harsh, and it is, but I believe there are times when it's important to take a stand. And I stand with science and protection of our children. The HPV vaccine protects. Period!
As for other vaccines, make sure you have your DTaP shots up to date to protect you from diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough). My mom almost died from diphtheria at the age of 16. The infection went into her mastoid bone, at the base of the skull. Doctors used a procedure to drain it, which saved her life, but they cut a nerve so she had a facial palsy on one side for the rest of her life.
Interestingly, she overcame it — that was her character. She headed the cosmetics counter at Wieboldt's, the department store for "The Working Women" in Chicago. I'm sure she'd say, roll up your sleeve for this one.
And lastly, there's the shingles vaccine. The older Merck vaccine was about 60% effective, but the two-shot GSK vaccine is 90% effective or higher. The shot hurts a bit when you get it, and many get a slight fever, but if you've had chickenpox, you're at risk for shingles. And if you get shingles, you're at risk for horrible pain that can last the rest of your life.
The chickenpox virus you got as a kid is living dormant in your nerves, just waiting to burst out when your immunity drops, leading to shingles. The vaccine pumps up your immunity so the risk of shingles drops dramatically. The vaccine doesn't kill the virus, but it lowers your risk that this pesky bug will do its dirty deed. If you've ever known anyone who got shingles, ask their opinion about this vaccine. It might help you make your decision.
My spin: This is not an all-inclusive list. Some folks need hepatitis A or hep B vaccines, others might need the Hib vaccine, for Haemophilus influenzae. There also are vaccines for mpox, which is spread by sexual contact, and meningitis, for which some adults are at risk.
The bottom line, as you can see, is that I strongly believe in vaccines. They have saved more lives than anything we have ever come up with, ever, ever, ever. Stay well.
This column provides general health information. Always consult your personal health care provider about concerns. No ongoing relationship of any sort is implied or offered by Dr. Paster to people submitting questions. Any opinions expressed by Dr. Paster in his columns are personal and are not meant to represent or reflect the views of SSM Health.
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