Avoid virus-linked cancers, including cervical cancer, with shots

With a simple vaccine, you can avoid HPV-linked cancer, including cervical cancer and many cancers of the mouth, throat, anus and genitals, which constitute more than 3 percent of all U.S. cancer diagnoses. Vaccination against the human papilloma virus (HPV) thwarts the virus’s spread, wrecks its ability to jump between people and inhibits a virus that in 2009 led to a cancer diagnosis for 30,000 people in the U.S., according to the National Cancer Insititue. 

HPV infection is common. More than half of women between 14 and 59 catch a genital HPV. Many of these infections are low-risk, but when the body does not sweep out HPV intruders, high-risk HPV infected cells may lead to the unchecked growth of cancerous cells, according to Newswise, a research-reporting service.

HPV is actually a family of more than 150 viruses that infect human skin and mucosa, the moist membranes lining the nostrils, mouth and genital cavities. Two vaccines, Gardasil and Cervarix, prevent people from getting HPV infections by helping the body stockpile a medley of cellular defenses. Gardasil and Cervarix target HPV types 16 and 18, the two responsible for most cervical, anal, genital, and oropharynx cancer.  Blocking infection by types 16 and 18 also fights off other cancers, and the vaccines’ protection could last a lifetime. Gardasil also targets types 6 and 11.

It is important to complete the three-dose series for the vaccines; series completion rates are low for people in the Southern states, especially those that are poor and without private insurance, according to Newswise. Scientists are working to make a single vaccine that blocks infection by all HPV types, but today’s vaccines can prevent infection by two of the most common high-risk HPVs and may be the first step toward preventing HPV-linked cancers. (Read more)

It's not too late to get your flu shot, and getting it could not only help yourself and your family but your neighbors

It's not too late to get your flu shot, even though the flu has hit earlier and more broadly than usual, experts say.

It generally takes about two weeks for a flu vaccine to be most effective, said Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Getting the shot in mid-January might seem too late, but it's "better late than never," he said during a teleconference Friday.

The CDC says the flu has been widespread in Kentucky for more than five weeks, far more than last year. "Most of the country is seeing a lot of flu, and this may continue for several weeks," Frieden said. "We don't know if we are over the peak."

Getting a flu shot can protect your neighbors, too. The protection afforded by the current vaccine is an important tool in protecting the health of the general public. The flu can be serious, especially in senior citizens, those with other chronic health problems and children. This season's outbreak has led to the deaths of 20 children as of Friday.

The CDC has found that the current flu vaccine is 62 percent effective, meaning if you get vaccinated, "You are 62 percent less likely to get the flu," writes Mary Meehan of the Lexington Herald-Leader.

It is also important that people with flu symptoms seek treatment. Anti-virals such as Tamiflu can be effective in reducing the most serious symptoms, Frieden said. "If you get flu-like symptoms, it can really help you avoid serious illness, hospitalization or even death," he said.

Meehan's story includes advice for dealing with children and tips about how to avoid getting the flu. To read it, click here.

UPDATE: In response to the flu, the University of Kentucky today limited visitation at its hospitals: None will be under 18 or have any flu-like symptoms, and only two will be allowed in a patient’s room at a time. Visitors may be issued masks or other protective clothing, and other restrictions may be imposed in special care units such as women’s and children’s units, critical care and oncology units. "Compassionate visitation exceptions will be made on a case-by-case basis," a UK release said.

Rural states with declining immunization rates have increasing incidence of whooping cough

In the state that once had the highest immunization rate, Vermont's medical community is not so proud of anymore. Fewer people are vaccinating their children in the nation’s most rural state, reports Dr. Wendy Mahoney, a private practioner in the state. But Vermont isn't alone. Stories about declining immunization have come in from across rural America, Mahoney writes in the Daily Yonder, and they "come in the midst of a pertussis outbreak the likes of which Vermont has not seen in years, if ever." Pertussis is whooping cough.

Mahoney says she can find one reason for the recent outbreak: a new law in her state, like some in other rural states, that allows parents to exempt their children from required vaccinations "because of a personal, moral, or other belief." Mahoney says many rural residents use the exemption, which she finds hard to fathom in the face of scientific advances that prove that vaccination has ended smallpox, wiped out polio in most of the world, and controlled measles, rubella, tetanus, diphtheria, influenza type b and other infectious diseases.

The top map shows the estimated percentage of children enrolled in kindergarten who have been exempted from receiving one or more vaccines in the 2011–12 school year. Comparison with the other map shows that states with large numbers of exemptions are those where whooping cough is making a comeback. (Centers for Disease Control maps)

A comparison between states with low vaccination coverage rates and those reporting higher numbers of whooping cough cases shows some, though not consistent, overlap. (Read more)

Studies show that preteen girls who get the HPV vaccination are not more inclined toward promiscuity than those who don't

An electron micrograph of the
human papilloma virus.
(National Cancer Institute photo)

 

The most recent study of preteen girls who received the vaccine for the human papilloma virus (HPV) found that they were no more likely than unvaccinated girls to get pregnant, develop sexually transmitted infections or seek birth-control counseling. The findings in Monday's issue of Pediatrics are in line with recent studies on British teens, which also dismissed concerns that getting the vaccination might encourage promiscuity.  USA Today reporter Michael Healy writes that while the latest results were based on parental or self-reporting, the reports were corroborated by medical tests, clinical markers of sexual activity and other behavior markers.

Robert Bednarczyk, a clinical investigator with the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research-Southeast and an epidemiologist at Emory University in Atlanta., queried 1,398 girls, aged 11 and 12, and analyzed their medical records. He and colleagues divided the girls into two groups and followed them for three years. "One group of 493 girls received at least one dose of the HPV vaccine Gardasil, along with other recommended vaccines for tetanus and meningitis. A comparison group of 905 girls received the tetanus and meningitis vaccines, but not HPV," Healy writes. "There was a very similar rate of testing, diagnosis and counseling between both groups," with no increase in pregnancies, STIs or birth-control counseling, Bednarczyk reported. Fewer than 1 percent of all girls tested positively for a sexually transmitted infection, and fewer than 1 percent had a positive pregnancy test.  (Read more)

Pharmacy student takes time to point out the "Top 10 things you didn't know your pharmacist could do for you"

Imagine yourself hip deep in pharmacy school. You are sweating bullets over classes in pharmokinetics, chemotherapy and biostats. What, ho! You see the calendar reads October and you realize it's American Pharmacists Month and you graduate in 2014 from the University of Kentucky's College of Pharmacy and you want people to know you are acquiring mad skills. What to do? Write a primer about how much pharmacists can do for a community. And then put that primer -- via guest column -- in the Kentucky Kernel, the school's (sort-of) daily newspaper, where people who are consumers of good data like this will gobble it and put it to good use. Student Zachary Noel's list of "the top 10 things you didn't know your pharmacist could do for you" is worth repeating because Noel wants to do more than fill prescriptions, he wants to be a trustworthy health-care partner, something a lot of Kentucky communities could use.

Here's Noel's list of what pharmacists can do:
1) Immunize. Kentucky's pharmacists can provide flu shots and vaccinations, even for the human papilloma virus.
2) Economize. Just ask if you find yourself paying too much for your meds, there might be something your pharmacist can do.
3) Educate. Pharmacist are highly educated health-care providers who are often under utilized and more accessible than traditional sources. Don't feel you have to limit those questions to medication questions.
4) Stand guard. Think of pharmacists as a super-filter and your last, best chance to check that a medication is right for you.
5) Counsel. Vitamins, herbals, over-the-counter meds baffling? The evidence-based and experience-tested pharmacist will have some advice.
6) Prescribe. Yes, some pharmacists, writes Noel, "can enter agreements with various providers allowing them to prescribe or alter medication regimens, such as within the Veteran's Affairs hospital system."
7) Practice in interesting places. Like ERs, ORs, with vets.
8) Complete a residency. Pharmacists can opt for more schooling so they can specialize.
9) Medication therapy management. This means that pharmacists can review all your meds for interactions and make recommendations.
10) Compound. This is where they make stuff not already available. Where they create eye drops or topical ointments specifically for your use as directed by your doctor.
(Read more)

Eastern Kentucky native wants to alert Appalachian women about their high rate of cervical cancer and how to prevent it

University of Kentucky physician and Pike County native Baretta Casey, right, has spent most of her career providing health care and education throughout the state, with a focus on Appalachian Kentucky. The health disparities between Eastern Kentucky and the rest of the state, especially high rates of cancer, are of "special concern" to Casey, reports Ann Blackford of UKNow.

Cancer is prevalent in her Casey's own family, and this is why she "has taken on the challenge of helping reduce cancer rates in Kentucky, especially cervical cancer and other Human papillomavirus cancers," Blackford reports. Cervical cancer rates are highest in rural and Appalachian Kentucky. According to the Kentucky Cancer Registry from 2005 to 2009, the cervical cancer rate in the region was 9.85 per 100,000 people. The state rate was 8.6. The average of deaths per year in the region from cervical cancer was 258.

"We have the tools to change these high rates and make a real difference in people's lives," Casey said. "I feel the best thing I can do for the people of Eastern Kentucky is to educate about prevention and screening of cervical cancer." Casey became the director of the Cervical Cancer-free Kentucky Initiative at UK's College of Public Health's Rural Cancer Prevention Center in 2010. Through this position, she makes connections with county health departments, community organizations and health advocacy groups that provide education and funding for cervical cancer prevention projects.

"Casey is passionate about educating people on the importance of vaccinating their children against HPV," Blackford writes. She said she wants people to look past the controversy of vaccinating their children and realize the importance of the vaccine. "The vaccine given for the appropriate reason can save a life," Casey said. (Read more)

State health department says 381 cases of whooping cough puts disease at epidemic levels

The state Department of Public Health says whooping cough is now at epidemic levels. Department officials told Amanda Stephenson of WTVQ-TV in Lexington that 381 cases of the virus have been confirmed so far in 2012.  The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department is reporting 50 cases so far this year. That's double the 26 cases they'd seen in the previous five years. Estill County health officials have seen a quadrupling of cases since July. (Read more)

Mary Meehan of the Lexington Herald-Leader reports that Three Rivers District Health Department in Owenton, which serves Owen, Carroll, Gallatin and Pendleton counties, will offer shots at fall festivals in the district to stave off the spread of the disease. After 86 cases were confirmed in the area, the Northern Kentucky Health Department, which serves Boone, Campbell, Grant and Kenton counties, is offering vaccines for $4.

The Fayette County department isn't planning special clinics at this time, so people who are worried about the illness should contact their family physicians. Some pharmacies, such as Walgreens, are offering the shots in their stores. There is an adequate supply of vaccine for children and adults, said Beth Fisher, a spokesperson for the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

For more information on pertussis, and its symptoms, go to the CDC website.

First cases of flu reported in Kentucky; not swine-related

By Tara Kaprowy
Kentucky Health News

Kentucky has its first confirmed cases of flu for the year, and officials are urging residents to get their vaccinations. (WYMT-TV photo)

The Department for Public Health reports six confirmed cases in Boyd County of the H3N2 strain, which is included in this year's flu vaccine. No cases of flu that contain genetic material from swine flu have been reported in Kentucky this year.

Kristy Bolen, senior epidemiologist at the Ashland-Boyd County Health Department, said both children and adults have been affected. "We do know that when kids go back to school, we tend to see more influenza," she said.

The reports of swine flu in Ohio and Indiana have prompted physicians to test for flu more than they normally would this time of year, Bolen told Kentucky Health News. "Being right on the border with Ohio, our local providers and local community members are more aware," she said. "It doesn't necessarily mean it will be a bad flu season."

The best way to protect against getting the flu is to get a vaccine, which should be done annually. The vaccine is recommended for anyone over 6 months of of age and is especially recommended for:
• Children age 6 months to 19 years
• Pregnant women
• People 50 years old or older
• People with any chronic health problems
• People who live in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities
• Health care workers
• Caregivers of people who have high risk for complications from the flu
• Out-of-home caregivers of people who live with children less than 6 months old.

"Getting the flu can be debilitating and sometimes life-threatening, so it's extremely important to take simple preventive steps to avoid i," said Dr. Steve Davis, acting commissioner for the DPH. "You should also follow the advice your mother gave you to prevent flu and other illnesses that tend to circulate at this time of year — wash your hands frequently, cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, and stay home when you're sick." (Read more)

For more information about the flu, click here.

Kentucky Health News is a service of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, based in the University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Telecommunications, with support from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.

No way to know how serious flu season will be this year; get your vaccine, which will be available soon, officials say

There is no way of predicting how far-reaching the flu will be this season, but this year's vaccine should be available soon, officials with the Kentucky Department for Public Health said today.

"As soon as you get the immunizations you can start administering them," Sherri Coles, Kentucky Vaccine Program assistant coordinator, told a physician during today's webinar on the subject.

Last flu season was very mild, particularly compared to the one before it, when the H1N1 flu virus was first found here. About 22,400 people nationwide were confirmed to have the flu last season. There were 26 lab-confirmed pediatric deaths caused by flu, but none were in Kentucky. Flu activity was only widespread for five weeks in Kentucky last season, in March and April.

Flu shots are recommended for everyone from 6 months of age and older. Children 6 months to 8 years of age getting the vaccine for the first time should get two doses administered at least one month apart.

The flu can be treated with antiviral drugs, Coles said, which can "lesson the symptoms and shorten the time you are sick by one or two days." The drugs should be taken within two days of getting sick, though starting them later can still be helpful for people who have a pre-existing health condition or are very sick from the flu. Tamiflu and Relenza are the two kinds of antiviral drugs available. Relenza can only be taken by people who do not have breathing problems like asthma or COPD.

Whooping cough on the rise in Kentucky and nationwide

A resurgence of whooping cough in Kentucky and the nation has officials urging the public to get vaccinated. The state has already had 171 reported cases this year, making it "on track to beat our record from just two years ago," said Dr. Kraig Humbaugh, state epidemiologist with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced recently there have been 18,000 cases nationwide so far in 2012, double the number of confirmed cases at the same time last year. "At that pace, the number for the entire year will be the highest since 1959, when 40,000 illnesses were reported," Mary Meehan reports for the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Washington and Oregon have been hit hardest. In Kentucky, Madison County has 24 cases. Estill County has 20, while the Northern Kentucky Health Department, which serves Boone, Campbell, Grant and Kenton counties, has reported 61 cases. In Lexington, there have been 15.

Whooping cough is spread by respiratory droplets transmitted person to person through close contact. It is sometimes characterized by a cough that ends with a high-pitched "whoop" sound during the next intake of breath. Immunization against the disease is required for school-age children, but many adults may not have gotten the vaccine or might need to get a booster shot. Officials urge them to do so. (Read more)

Measles is still around; rate in 2011 was highest in 15 years

Measles virus (Photo by Scott Camazine/CDC/Getty Images)

In 2000, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared measles had been eliminated in the United States. But last year, the nation had the most cases of the infectious disease since 1997.

A report released last week shows there were 222 cases of measles and 17 measles outbreaks in 2011. In a typical year, there are usually just 50 to 60 cases. This year, there have already been 25 cases.

"Of the 222 reported cases, 50 percent were associated with the 17 outbreaks and 90 percent were associated with importations from foreign countries — 26 percent from U.S. residents traveling abroad and 10 percent from foreign visitors," reports Alexandra Sifferlin for Time magazine.

Each case is treated with intense investigation because of the highly contagious nature of the virus. "You can catch measles just by being in a room where someone with measles has been, even if they left," said Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diesease. "It's serious; one out of three people who got it last year had to be hospitalized." No one died, however.

Of the 196 U.S. residents who contracted the virus last year, 166 had not been or did not know if they had been vaccinated. More than 80 percent of them were eligible for vaccine.

"Many people think diseases like measles are gone and that they do not need to vaccinate themselves or their children," Sifferlin reports. "But the CDC warns measles is still prevalent worldwide. Globally, about 20 million people get measles each year." (Read more)

Ky. recognized for high immunization rate; up 17% since 2007

For having childhood vaccination rates considerably higher than the national average, Kentucky's Department for Public Health was recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week.

Kentucky's childhood vaccination series coverage rate was about 80.6 percent in the last two quarters of 2010 and the first two quarters of 2011. Nationwide, the rate was 73.1 percent. Kentucky was also acknowledged for improving its childhood coverage from 63.3 percent in 2007. The data were collected from the annual National Immunization Survey.

Starting July 1, 2011, immunization requirements started being imposed for infants, toddlers and school-age children that were more in line with CDC recommendations and national pediatric standards.

"We have been working to increase immunization rates among Kentucky's children for several years now, including a campaign to make the public aware of the changes to the immunization schedule that took effect last July," said acting Health Commissioner Dr. Steve Davis. "The improvement in vaccine coverage helps improve the health and well-being of our fellow Kentuckians, and particularly our children." (Read more)

Avoiding immunizations on religious grounds is risky: Bill Moyers

The movie "Contagion" has veteran journalist and commentator Bill Moyers thinking about how fast a deadly disease outbreak can spread, something that can be further propagated by children whose parents have declined to get them immunized on religious grounds.

All states require children to receive some vaccinations, but almost all, including Kentucky, grant religious exemptions. "Now seven states are considering legislation to make it even easier for mothers and fathers to spare their children from vaccinations, especially on religious grounds," Moyers writes.

In some places, that is affecting vaccination rates. In Oregon, the number of children in kindergarten with religious exemptions is up from 3.7 percent to 5.6 percent in the past four years. When the number of people who are not vaccinated increases, that can affect the whole population, since "a certain number of any population group needs to have been vaccinated to maintain the ability of the whole population — 'the herd' — to resist the spread of a disease," Moyers explains. In a class of 25 students, it just takes five who are unvaccinated "for the herd immunity to break down," he writes.

Recently, several outbreaks have been linked to children who have not received their vaccinations. Reuters reported 13 cases of measles in central Indiana, including two whop attended the Super Bowl in Indianapolis. "Patriot and Giants fans back East have been alerted," writes the New York-based Moyers. "So far, no news is good news."

Moyers calls the vaccination gaps "serious business," and reminds readers about serious disease outbreaks of the past, including measles, flu, small pox, polio, and whooping cough. While it's easy to be unconcerned, he says "our human herd moves on a conveyor belt of constant mobility, so that a virus can travel as swiftly as a voice from one cell phone to another. When and if a contagion strikes, we can't count on divine intervention to spare us. That's when you want a darn good scientist in a research lab." (Read more)

"The comments from vaccination skeptics on Bill's column show there are science-deniers on the left just as there are on the right," said Al Cross, director of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues.

Rural women are less likely to complete vaccinations for cervical-cancer virus; study finds vaccine does not increase sexual activity

Women living in rural areas of the U.S. were far less likely to return for their follow-up doses after they get the initial injection of the human papillomavirus vaccine, a study in the Journal of Rural Health has found. (Photo by Pete Rodman, Bowling Green Daily News)

The study contrasted the rates of vaccination follow-up by young women recruited from two rural locations and one urban location. "Despite being free, the researchers concluded that uptake of booster doses by rural women was problematic," states an article in the Rural Center for AIDS/STD Prevention's "RAP Time" publication. "This barrier might be resolved by providing the HPV doses at easy-to-access locations in rural communities, such as large grocery stores and area events."

The HPV vaccine requires three doses. The women who went to the rural clinic were seven times less likely to return for at least one follow-up dose.

The vaccine, which has proven to prevent most cervical cancers, has been approved for use in women ages 9 to 26 years, as well as boys. The vaccine is generally given at the age of 11 or 12 and is effective only if administered before a person becomes sexually active. As many as 80 percent of men and women become infected with HPV during their lives, but most do not develop symptoms or illness.

The vaccine has been met with reluctance by parents, some of whom fear it encourages sexual activity, but a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found girls or women who received the vaccine "were no more likely to be sexually active or have more partners than those not vaccinated."

Last year, just 49 percent of adolescent girls nationwide had received at least the first dose of the vaccine, and only a third had gotten all three. In Kentucky, just 25 percent of adolescent females had gotten the first dose and fewer than 11 percent had received all three doses.

In Kentucky, the annual death rate caused by cervical cancer is 2.9 deaths per 100,000. In the United States, it's 2.4 per 100,000. "The U.S. is remaining stable. Kentucky's is actually falling," gynecologist Dr. Mark Yurchisin told Alyssa Harvey of the Bowling Green Daily News.

The decrease is being attributed to an increase in screenings. "In certain counties in Kentucky there is a high incidence, they implemented outreach clinics because they didn't have clinics where they could get Pap screenings done," Yurchisin said. "They can diagnose it at an earlier and treatable stage." (Read more)

Boys should get HPV vaccine to keep from spreading virus

A federal committee has recommended that boys receive the human papilloma virus vaccine, already recommended for girls, to fight the sexually transmitted virus that is known to cause cervical cancer. The vaccine could also protect boys against genital warts and anal cancer.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices released its recommendation Wednesday. It is the first time there has been a public push for boys to receive the vaccine, though it has been licensed for male use for the past two years.

Dr. Baretta Casey, director of Cervical Cancer-Free Kentucky, applauded the move. "To stem the spread of the HPV virus and the many problems it causes is the best thing," she said.

The vaccine is usually given at the age of 11 or 12 and is only effective if it is given before a person becomes sexually active. As many as 80 percent of men and women are infected with HPV during the course of their lives, but most do not develop symptoms or illness, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.

The vaccine has been met with reluctance by parents, some of whom fear it would encourage sexual activity. Last year, just 49 percent of adolescent girls nationwide had received at least the first of its three doses, and only a third had gotten all three. In Kentucky, only 25 percent of adolescent females had received the first dose, and fewer than 11 percent had received all three doses.

Casey attributed parents' hesitation to a fear that the vaccine is harmful, though research shows otherwise. "It's our hope that people understand that this is a vaccine that has been around for quite a while now," she said. "The effects of the immunization are similar to other vaccines that we currently give our children. And if I can give my child a vaccine that would prevent them from ever developing cancer, I'm for it." On average, 391 Kentucky women develop cervical cancer and 66 die.

The cost of the vaccine — about $110 for each of the three doses — is also believed to be a factor in the low vaccination numbers, though Casey said Medicaid covers it, as do major health insurance providers such as Blue Cross Blue Shield and Anthem. Though the numbers are low, Casey said she is seeing some boys being vaccinated in Kentucky "but it's not a widely done practice." (Read more)

Parents, children should discuss HPV vaccine, study indicates

A study at Ohio State University found that college-aged women who have talked to their mothers about the human papillomavirus are more likely to get the vaccine that prevents it, Brandy Reeves, right, a certified sexuality educator and health education coordinator at the University of Kentucky, writes in the Lexington Herald-Leader.

HPV is known to cause cancer, including cervical cancer, oral cancer, vulvar cancer, anal cancer and penile cancer.

There are two vaccines for HPV approved by the Food and Drug Administration: Gardasil and Cervarix. "Because men can carry HPV and transmit it sexually to their partners, the FDA has approved the use of Gardasil in both genders, from ages 9 to 26," Reeves writes. "Parents who are nervous about bringing up the topic can focus on how the vaccine is safe and effective, and that it prevents cancer." (Read more)

High-dose flu shot, which many doctors recommend for those over 65 due to risk of death, is becoming more available

It's time for flu shots, but the annual reminder has a new angle: Fluzone HighDose, a special vaccine designed for people 65 and older, who make up 90 percent of the 23,000 people who die of the flu and its complications.

"The high-dose vaccine for seniors, introduced last year by drug-maker Sanofi Pasteur, is becoming more widely available in the area, and health workers say it’s in high demand," Laura Ungar reports for The Courier-Journal of Louisville.The Jefferson County Health Department "charges $40 for the high-dose shot and $25 for the regular vaccine that is injected." (C-J photo by Bill Luster: Joe Blincoe of Louisville gets one of the new, high-dose shots)

The high-dose vaccine contains four times as much antibody-creating antigen as a regular shot, and it is recommended by Dr. Nancy Stiles, a geriatrician and associate professor of medicine at the University of Kentucky, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "says problems such as pain and swelling at the injection site and headache or muscle aches were reported more frequently after people got the high-dose vaccine," Ungar writes. "At this point, the CDC is not recommending one type over the other," pending a study. "Whichever type of flu shot seniors get, local doctors are also urging them to make sure they have had a pneumonia shot," which is good for at least five years. (Read more)

Now is the time to get flu vaccine, state health officials warn

State public health officials are encouraging Kentuckians to be vaccinated for flu now to reduce the spread of the illness. Steve Davis, M.D., acting commissioner of the Department for Public Health, said in a news release, “Getting the flu vaccine each year is the best way to protect against the flu’s spread and severity.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends flu vaccine for anyone older than 6 months. People who should especially receive the flu vaccine, because they may be at higher risk for complications or negative consequences, include:
• Children age 6 months to 19 years;
• Pregnant women;
• People 50 years old or older;
• People of any age with chronic health problems;
• People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities;
• Health care workers;
• Caregivers of or people who live with a person at high risk for complications from the flu; and
• Out-of-home caregivers of or people who live with children less than 6 months old.

Healthy, non-pregnant people age 2-49 years can get either the flu shot or the nasal vaccine spray. Children younger than 9 who are being vaccinated against flu for the first time should receive a second dose four or more weeks after their first vaccination.

Flu is a very contagious disease caused by a virus. About 23,000 Americans die from seasonal flu and its complications in an average year, but actual numbers vary from year to year.

In addition to the flu vaccine, officials encourage all adults 65 or older and others in high-risk groups to ask their health care provider about the pneumococcal vaccine. This vaccine can help prevent a type of pneumonia, one of the flu’s most serious and potentially deadly complications.

For more information on influenza or the availability of flu vaccine, please contact your local health department or visit www.healthalerts.ky.gov.

CDC names top 10 public health achievements in past decade, including tobacco control; Ky. still leads nation in tobacco use

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have named the top 10 public health achievements of the last decade. They include controlling infectious diseases like AIDS and tuberculosis; fighting tobacco use; improving motor-vehicle safety by having safer vehicles, roads and driving; reducing heart disease and death; and improving public safety preparedness following Sept. 11, 2001.

The 10 were not ranked. "Others include improvements in vaccine-preventable diseases, better maternal and infant health, better cancer prevention, improved occupational safety, and the aggressive steps that have led to fewer childhood lead poisonings," reports Bill Hendrick of WebMD Health News.

"Americans are living longer, healthier and more productive lives than ever before thanks in part to extraordinary achievements in public health over the past decade," CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden said in a press release. "Continued investments in prevention will help us and our children live even longer, healthier and more productive lives while bringing down health care costs."

The report shows the improvements have saved billions of dollars nationwide. Fortifying food with folic acid, which reduced neural tube defects like spina bifida, has alone resulted in a savings of $4.6 billion in the past 10 years. Preventing motor vehicle crashes could save $99 billion in medical and lost work costs each year. Preventing lead exposure in children could save $213 billion each year.

While tobacco control has advanced nationally, and Kentucky's smoking rate has dropped slightly, the state continues to lead the nation in tobacco use, at 25 percent of adults. While about two dozen Kentucky communities have passed smoke-free laws, a statewide ban has never gotten anywhere in the legislature. The number of states with comprehensive smoke-free laws increased from zero in 2000 to 25 states (plus Washington, D.C.) in 2010.

Motor vehicle safety has improved, a trend that has been noted in Kentucky. The number of traffic-related fatalities in Kentucky has decreased for the past six years. In 2010, 759 people died on Kentucky roads compared to 791 the year before. This year so far, 220 people have died in traffic-related accidents compared to 237 last year. Nationwide, the death rate related to motor vehicle accidents went from 14.9 per 100,000 people in 2000 to 11 per 100,000 in 2009. (Read more)

Shingles vaccine available, but expensive, and can be hard to find

Though it's expensive and can be hard to find, a vaccine against shingles is now available to people 60 and up, and in some cases to those 50 and up. Until this year, the vaccine, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2006, was only available to people 60 and older, The Courier-Journal's Darla Carter reports.

The painful, contagious rash, which is caused by a reactivation of the chickenpox virus, affects about 1 million Americans each year. It usually appears on one side of the face or body and results in blisters, fever and pain. It can also result in permanent pain, a condition called post-herpetic neuralgia or PHN.

Though the FDA had approved the vaccine, "Some medical facilities are waiting until action by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before agreeing to provide the vaccine to people 50 to 59. The topic is expected to be discussed at the June meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which makes vaccine recommendations to the CDC," Carter reports.

The vaccine can cost more than $200, must be frozen and isn't always covered by insurance or Medicare. It is only covered through Medicare Part D, but not Medicare Part B. Many insurance companies are deciding whether or not to cover the vaccine pending the advisory committee's decision.

At Kroger pharmacies, the vaccine is available without a prescription for people 60 and up, but younger patients need a prescription, Carter reports. Take Care Clinics and Walgreens pharmacies require that customers be 60 or older to receive the vaccine. (Read more)