PERSONAL WELLNESS

SHOTS, etc works under the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for administering vaccines to children and adults of all ages. However, we do recognize and respect that many providers and parents desire to follow a less regimented schedule of vaccinating. Many pediatricians refer their patient's families to us for providing these services, either through their own guidance in spacing the vaccines or using the published recommendations of other respected researchers or practitioners. We are happy to partner with you and your child's pediatrician in administering their vaccines.

Please refer to the following links for the CDC recommendations and other useful information.

• Vaccines for Children from Birth to age 18
• Schedule for Children with Special Medical Conditions 
• Vaccines and Pregnancy
• CDC Recommended Catch-up Schedule
• Adult CDC Vaccine Recommendations
• Vaccine Ingredients

Vitamin B-12 is a very important nutrient necessary for sufficient formation of mature red blood cells and for the proper functioning of the brain and spinal cord. Studies have also shown that Vitamin B-12 and other B vitamins (folate and B-6) may help prevent heart disease by lowering blood levels of homocysteine. In recent years, experts have become more concerned about Vitamin B-12 deficiency in people over 50 and those following a strict vegetarian diet, even though people of any age can be deficient in this essential nutrient.  Although Vitamin B-12 is found primarily in red meats, it is also found in dairy products, fish, poultry, other meats, and fortified foods.

For our bodies to utilize the Vitamin B-12 consumed in our diets, the stomach must secrete adequate amounts of gastric acid, plus the digestive enzyme pepsin, and then, in order to be absorbed, the free vitamin must combine with a protein known as "intrinsic factor. In older people this process may be incomplete: 20 to 30% of people over age 50 don't produce enough stomach acid, and thus their B-12 absorption is reduced. A poor diet and heavy drinking at any age can contribute to a Vitamin B-12 deficiency as can taking certain medications such as glucophage (for Type II diabetes) and many stomach antacids. Vegans (who eat no animal products, which are the best sources of B-12) can be deficient, as can those who undergo gastric bypass surgery or have diseases of the intestinal tract.

When deficiency is the problem

In today's society, many people complain of being tired all of the time, lacking energy and not sleeping well.  For many people, simply adding a good multi-vitamin to their daily diet is enough to lessen these complaints.  On the other hand, severe Vitamin B-12 deficiency can cause confusion, memory loss, tingling and weakness in the limbs, hallucinations, and listlessness. This may be misdiagnosed as Alzheimer's disease or other conditions or the person suffering from these symptoms may simply attribute them to "aging. If you have any of these serious symptoms or suspect you are deficient, please get medical help. Blood tests can diagnose deficiency, and blood levels of the Vitamin B-12 can be brought up in various ways”oral or sublingual tablets, nasal gels, and injections.

Injections vs. pills

Many people have found that monthly injections of Vitamin B-12 have helped them in many ways that tablets have not.  Many of them report they have more energy, stronger immune systems (with less allergies and incidences of seasonal illness), less stress and depression, more restful sleep, and less frequent/less severe headaches when they take Vitamin B-12 injections on a regular basis. Because of variations in individual metabolism, some people who begin taking Vitamin B-12 injections may feel the differences within several days while others may take up to several months to discern a change in their health.

Please note that persons with chronic liver or kidney disease and those allergic to cobalt

should not take Vitamin B-12 injections and should consult with their physicians.

LIPO/Multi-B PLUS Injections

Pertussis (commonly known as "whooping cough") is a highly contagious respiratory tract infection. Although most children are protected against pertussis by vaccination during childhood, immunity wanes over time and leaves adolescents and adults unprotected from this serious and sometimes deadly illness. In 2004, U.S. adults 19“64 years of age reported approximately 7,000 cases of pertussis. The true number of cases among adults 19-64 years is likely much higher, estimated at 600,000 each year.

Symptoms of pertussis in adults range from a mild cough to classic pertussis (i.e., prolonged cough characterized by coughing spasms, vomiting and inspiratory whoop). Complications include rib fractures resulting from severe cough and pneumonia requiring hospitalization. Adults with pertussis can transmit the infection to other people, including infants. Because infants are at highest risk of pertussis-related complications and death compared with older age groups, many pediatricians who follow the guidelines of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) now recommend vaccination for all parents of newborns and infants.

Adults who have or who anticipate having close contact with an infant less than 12 months of age (e.g., parents, grandparents, siblings, childcare providers, health-care providers) should receive a single dose of Tdap vaccine.

Ideally, fathers and other close relatives and caregivers should be given Tdap vaccination at least 1 month before beginning close contact with the infant. Mothers should receive a dose of Tdap in the immediate post-partum period if they have not received it earlier during the pregnancy. It is now recommended that a woman receive the TdaP vaccine during each pregnancy. 

Adults with a history of pertussis generally should receive Tdap according to the routine recommendations.

On October 26, 2005, the ACIP recommended routine use of Tdap for adults 19 - 64 years of age every ten years to replace the previously recommended ten-year booster doses of Td vaccine.  Adults who have never received tetanus and diphtheria toxoid-containing vaccine should receive a series of three vaccinations. The preferred schedule is a single dose of Tdap, followed by Td (Tetanus/Diphtheria) >4 weeks later, and a second dose of Td 6 to 12 months later. Tdap may substitute for Td for any one of the three doses in the series.

Because of the increased incidence of pertussis infection in adolescents, the ACIP also recommends that all adolescents receive a dose of Tdap vaccine, beginning at age 11 with Td boosters continuing every ten years throughout adulthood, with the exception that women should receive a TdaP vaccine with every pregnancy.

There are two vaccines now available for adolescent and adult protection against tetanus/diphtheria/acellular pertussis. ADACEL (Sanofi Pasteur) was licensed by the FDA on June 10, 2005 as a single dose booster vaccine for all persons 11-64 years of age. BOOSTRIX® (GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals) was licensed May 3, 2005 only for use in adolescents and teens 10-18 years of age but as of 2015 is licensed for use ages 10 and older, including those above age 64.

This information was compiled from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

Most colleges and universities require all incoming students

to receive or show proof of having had

the following vaccinations:

MENINGOCOCCAL (MENACTRA)

Even though college freshmen living in dormitories are five times more likely to get meningitis, most states recommend protection for all college freshmen. Because this is such a serious threat, we want you to be fully informed about this deadly disease. Meningitis symptoms present the same as influenza symptoms, therefore they are often dismissed and medical care is delayed, with death possible in as little as 8 hours! 

**Although college freshmen are given the opportunity to sign a waiver to keep from taking the Meningitis vaccine and/or the Hepatitis B vaccine, it is VERY IMPORTANT that they understand the risks they are taking by refusing the vaccine.  When you weigh the risks versus the discomfort or expense involved in taking these important vaccines, it is evident what the choice should be! Losing your limbs or even your life is not a reasonable risk you should take, especially when these vaccines are readily available and proven to be lifesaving.

HEPATITIS B

Hepatitis B is a sexually transmitted disease that is also spread by tattooing, body piercing and sharing drug paraphernalia.  Hepatitis B is 100 times more infectious than HIV/AIDS.  In the U.S., more than 1 million Americans are chronically infected with Hepatitis B, and 5,000 people die each year from its serious consequences, which include cirrhosis and liver cancer. Hepatitis B vaccine protects nearly all who are in contact with blood, body fluids or used needles. Most people who were in junior high or middle school in 2005 should have received three doses of Hepatitis B vaccine by high school graduation.

MEASLES / MUMPS / RUBELLA

If you do not have a blood test to show immunity, you should be vaccinated now.  Persons born after 1956 should get at least one dose of MMR vaccine unless you have had EACH one of these diseases.  Many schools require two doses of the vaccine or a blood titre that shows you have had the diseases.

TETANUS / DIPHTHERIA / PERTUSSIS

Everyone needs a booster every ten years whether you have injured yourself or not!  Tetanus lives everywhere...in the dirt, on rusty equipment, garden mulch and in your pets' intestinal tracts. If you have not yet received a dose of Tetanus vaccine that included Pertussis protection, you should receive one now, even if it has only been a couple of years since your last dose. After the initial dose of TdaP vaccine, everyone should receive a booster dose of Tetanus/Diphtheria vaccine every 10 years. An exception is that women should receive a TdaP vaccine during every pregnancy. 

VARICELLA (CHICKENPOX)

Varicella is a highly infectious disease that can be rapidly transmitted in schools and dormitories.  If you have not had chickenpox, you should get the vaccine right away.  Two doses are now recommended for lifetime protection.

INFLUENZA

You need a flu vaccination EVERY YEAR!  Living in dormitories and attending large classes with other students makes it more likely you will be exposed to the flu!  Meningitis feels like the flu when it first starts, so get a flu vaccination so you can tell the difference!  And remember, you CANNOT get the flu from the flu vaccine!

This information was compiled from information published by Medimmune, Inc., the CDC,

the ACIP and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

International adoption is a wonderful way of expanding your family and providing a caring, loving home to a child in need. Over 20,000 infants and children are adopted from abroad each year by citizens of the United States. Infants and children from Asia, Central and South America, and Eastern Europe account for over 90% of international adoptions. To complete an international adoption and bring an infant or a child to the United States, prospective parents must fulfill the requirements set forth by the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS) formerly the Immigration and Naturalization Service [INS]), the foreign country where the infant or child resides, and sometimes the state of residence of the adoptive parent(s).* If you are just beginning the process of determining if international adoption is right for you, there is a step-by-step guide that can be accessed from the website of International Children's Services at http://www.jointcouncil.org/.

For most of you visiting this page, you are probably well into the process of international adoption and have found that you and your family members need to be up-to-date on all of the vaccines that are normally recommended for children, adolescents and adults. You also are aware that you may need certain "travel vaccines before you make the trip to visit your adoptive child or to bring him/her back to their new home!

We are happy to offer you a FREE consultation to help determine you and your family's vaccine needs. Please obtain a copy of your vaccination record(s) from your current or previous healthcare provider(s) that will accurately reflect the vaccinations you have received in the past. Then give us a call to talk about your specific needs. You may also access the Childhood/Adolescent/Adult Vaccine Schedules and the International Travelers pages on this website to compare your vaccine history to what is recommended for you.

At SHOTS, etc., we know that some health insurance plans do not cover adult vaccinations of any kind. It is still worth a phone call to your plan representative once you have determined your vaccine needs to see if there is any coverage available. Please keep in mind that most primary care physicians do not administer most travel-related vaccines. At SHOTS, etc., we provide ALL recommended vaccinations for adolescents and adults and travel vaccinations for everyone ages 2 and older. Please consult with your child's pediatrician for all of their regular childhood vaccination needs.

We look forward to helping you and your family stay healthy during this most exciting time of your life!

*This information was taken from the CDC Yellow Book Information for International Travelers.