Back-to-school vaccination for preteens and teens
“Shot in the Dark (A Coffeehouse Mystery)” is a book by Cleo Coyle that’s a brew of intrigue and tasty recipes. “A Shot in the Dark” (1966) is a film with Inspector Clouseau (Peter Sellers) that dishes up a riotous spoof on police drama. But a shot in the arm, well, that’s something to shine a light on as your adolescents head back to school.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has the following vaccine recommendations for preteens and teens who haven’t gotten these lifesavers:
Quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine: All 11- to 12-year-olds need a single inoculation. At 16, they’ll need a second shot, so that they stay protected when their risk is the highest. The vaccination protects against some bacteria that cause meningitis — infections of the lining of the brain and spinal cord, and bloodstream infections (bacteremia or septicemia).
HPV vaccine: All boys and girls should finish the HPV vaccine series before they’re 13. This helps prevent cancers of the cervix, throat, vagina and penis.
Tdap vaccine: This is a booster shot that continues protection against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (also called “whooping cough”). As kids get older, the protection from the DTaP shot they got when they were much younger starts to wear off.
Flu vaccine: Last but not least, all preteens and teens should get one every year by the end of October. If your child has asthma or diabetes, it is especially important, since they’re more likely to contract the flu and to have more serious complications from it.
Don’t take a workout vacation
When entrepreneurial gadfly Richard Branson owned a hideaway for celebs, Belmond La Residencia, in Majorca, Spain, everyone from Princess Diana and Harrison Ford to Kate Moss hung out with him. That indulgent lifestyle didn’t seem to make any of them gain weight! But according to a recent survey of over 2,000 people in the U.K., Majorca is one of the top four pack-on-the-weight destinations for vacationers. The toll? Nine added pounds.
Vacations are essential; they dispel stress and revive your spirit. But you don’t want them to become a getaway from exercise and smart nutrition. A new study of 45 active adults found that after two weeks of reducing their physical activity — taking less than 2,000 steps a day and sitting or floating in a pool for more than three and a half hours a day — almost all of them were less sensitive to insulin and had higher blood sugar, worse cholesterol readings, slightly less leg muscle mass and more abdominal fat. Another recent study found that if you’re older than 65, a break from physical activity (1,000 or fewer steps a day) for two weeks can send you straight to fullblown diabetes.
So, a vacation from work, that’s healthy. But don’t take a break from being active. You’re aiming for 10,000 steps a day or the equivalent: 10 minutes of freestyle swimming equals 2,300 steps; 10 minutes trotting on horseback equals 1,880 steps; 10 minute of tennis equals 2,320 steps. Sounds like fun! Then you’ll be taking a vacation from health problems, too.
Do kids get migraines?; keeping antibiotics effective
Question: My 9-yearold son was in bed with a headache and vomiting. Our doctor thinks he might have had a migraine. Is that possible? What can we do to prevent another one from happening? — Kaitlin V., Portland, Oregon
Answer: Unfortunately, there’s a good chance your doc is spot-on. Migraine headaches are not uncommon in youngsters. Around 5 to 10 percent of all school-age kids get them, and half of all migraine sufferers have their first attack before age 12. Vomiting happens to around 90 percent of children who suffer migraines.
If your primary care doctor or pediatrician can’t recommend a headache specialist, check out the Migraine Research Foundation for info on certified headache specialists in your area (www. migraineresearchfoundation.org). Treating childhood migraine can be challenging. Many of the medications that are approved for adults aren’t OK for children under
12. If there is another migraine sufferer in the family — migraine tends to run in families — do not give your child someone else’s medication.
Depending on the frequency and severity of future attacks, there are several levels of treatments that kids can receive: They include medications, cognitive behavioral therapy, even ganglion blocks or Botox. But sometimes the best treatment is bedrest in a dark, quiet room; over-the-counter pain relievers seem to work, too.
However, one of the biggest problems for kids who get migraines is the anxiety they feel about when the next attack will come. To identify triggers and see patterns, it’s smart to keep a diary that tracks your child’s food, sleep and activity, and when and how long each headache lasts (there are several apps for that). That way you can identify possible triggers — a specific stress (before a test at school), food, exercise or too much or too little sleep.
Q: I heard that hand sanitizers are losing their ability to fend off hospital germs. What are we supposed to do now? — Arthur S., Detroit
A: Hand sanitizers still are very effective against MRSA and other hospitalfrequenting bugs, so keep using them every time you go into and out of a hospital room. But there’s no reason not to rely on good old-fashioned soap and water, in the hospital and out in the world at large.
The report you’re referring to came from an Australian study that found that the bacteria E. faecium (which are already resistant to some antibiotics) are getting better at withstanding alcohol-based hand sanitizer. That’s concerning, because according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 2 million people a year in the U.S. are infected with antibioticresistant bacteria, and at least 23,000 die from those infections. Untold others die from other conditions made worse by an antibiotic-resistant infection.
Each of you plays a role in helping to reduce the growing problem by not taking antibiotics for viral infections or for bacterial infections that would resolve safely by themselves — and now apparently by not using hand sanitizer as your first, impulsive way to stay clean. Also, avoid eating animal products that are treated with antibiotics — 80 percent of antibiotics sold in the U.S. are for use in raising livestock.
Fortunately, there’s interesting news about the possible development of new, more resistanceproof antibiotics. A recent Swiss study has identified a group of potential antibiotics from a weed called thale cress. The Swiss researchers found over 200 species of bacteria living on this Swiss weed’s flowers and leaves, with hundreds of molecular interactions between the different strains. That bacterial hub works a bit like your gut biome: Good bacteria (both on the leaves and in your intestines) are able to muscle out bad ones (like harmful strains of E. coli in your gut). One strain in particular called macrobrevin seemed like the best candidate. The next step is to see if it can stop the growth of bad bacteria that cause disease in humans. We’re glad this weed is legal!