s/o Vaccines - adult boosters?

wise_rita · May 2012

Mxolisi mentioned in the anti-vaxers post that there are immunizations that adults should get a booster for since their childhood immunity might have faded.

Which ones?

marytini · May 2012

Tetanus, although a booster of pertussis is now recommended for adults due to outbreaks. Luckily, this comes combined with tetanus, so it's just one shot.

wise_rita · May 2012

Interesting.

I got a tetanus shot abroad within the last few years, so is it standard that tetanus comes with pertussis?

dorothyinAus · May 2012

If you were born in the early to mid 70's you may want to update your MMR (measles, mumps, & Rubella) as there was some question about the initial vaccines given during those years. Also, if you received the OPV (oral polio vaccine), it is recommended that you update that vaccine if you are traveling to an area where polio is prevalent. There are some worries that the OPV, a live virus vaccine, might not be as effective as the newer version.

The current recommendation for tetanus shots is 10 years, but many doctors are advocating 5 years, and any time you have a puncture wound, regardless of when your last shot was. With the increase in cases of whooping cough in certain US states, new suggestions are for everyone to get there DPT (diphtheria, tetanus, & pertussis) vaccine updated.

wise_rita:
Interesting.
I got a tetanus shot abroad within the last few years, so is it standard that tetanus comes with pertussis?

You can get just a tetanus shot -- especially in the ER if you have a puncture wound. But in giving boosters, it's much more common for the tetanus to come in connection with the diphtheria and pertussis vaccine, in the combined DPT.

gahanwild · May 2012

I just got my vaccines for India last week. Had to get my adult boosters for:
-MMR
-Tetanus
-Polio
-Pertussis (its bundled with the tetanus shot)

Also had to get Hep A&B, Typhoid and will start taking my malaria pills in a few days.

NorticPrincess · May 2012

If you are worried about your protective immunity from childhood vaccines, your doctor can do blood titers to see if you are still protected. I get mine done through occupational health, but my PCP will draw the bloodwork if asked. My hep b titer likes to drop below protective.

mxolisi · May 2012

Also there is now evidence that the meningitis vax doesn't convey lifelong immunity ao if you had it in college it may no longer provide optimal protection. I'm updating mine next week.

In terms of "travel" vaccines, typhoid only lasts 2 years unless you do the oral vaccine (which I think lasts for five)..

Publius · May 2012

I would think all of them. Don't vaccines only last for about 10 years? I went to the doctor a few weeks ago, told him I'd only had a tetanus, yellow fever, and hep b shots in the past ten years, and he gave me a ton of injections.

ETA: Just looked at my vaccine booklet and this is what I got:

-Typhoid (this is the reason I went in the first place)

-MMR

-meningitis

-polio

-pertussis

I'm going back next week to start the Japanese encephalitis vax, but that's just because I live in an area where it occurs.

dorothyinAus · May 2012

Publius:
I'm going back next week to start the Japanese encephalitis vax, but that's just because I live in an area where it occurs.

My older brother is getting his vaccines for a business trip to Mumbai and was told by the tropical medicine department that there is not a vaccine for Japanese Encephalitis. If there is one, I'll tell him to find a doctor who can get if for him.

Publius · May 2012

dorothyinAus:
Publius:
I'm going back next week to start the Japanese encephalitis vax, but that's just because I live in an area where it occurs.
My older brother is getting his vaccines for a business trip to Mumbai and was told by the tropical medicine department that there is not a vaccine for Japanese Encephalitis. If there is one, I'll tell him to find a doctor who can get if for him.

There definitely is one. It's given in two doses. Malaria and dangue fever are the mosquito borne illnesses for which there aren't vaccines.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/jencephalitis/

http://www.immunize.org/vis/je_ixiaro.pdf

anna7602 · May 2012

I had to get a booster for measles because I failed the titer test I took in grad school (approx. 7 years ago).

I had no idea you could fail a titer test for something until that happened.

Dragonfly08 · May 2012

I had the MMR booster in college because between the time I started and the time I transferred they began requiring it for students who'd had their first dose in the early to mid 70's (which is when I got mine). And I did remember to get my last tetanus booster, as well. I also do annual flu vaxes mostly because I have young kids, and everybody else in my household gets them (DHs is offered free at work). No guarantee I won't come down with something, but I figure every little bit helps and other than a sore arm for a day or two it doesn't bother me.