Photo By Chief Petty Officer Chad Butler | 180418-N-KT595-012 Busan, Republic of Korea (April 19, 2018) Hospital Corpsman 2nd...... read more read more
Courtesy story, Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center, Public Affairs
On the timeline of history, we are collectively more aware now of the role viruses play and the importance that immunizations have for us. For many in the military health organization, immunizations are a battleground for ensuring that our nation’s’ service members are ready to deploy anywhere at any time.
The month of August is National Immunization Awareness Month, which is a great time to reflect on the fight against diseases and illnesses that are preventable with a simple rolling up of the sleeve and a poke. Prior to COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Federal Drug Administration recommended 17 routine vaccines for individuals from across the age spectrum to protect against serious illnesses such as measles, meningitis, polio and more.
In 2012, the World Health Organization estimated that vaccination prevents 2.5 million deaths each year. Approximately 42,000 adults and 300 children in the United States die each year from vaccine-preventable diseases; all of these are preventable through timely vaccinations.
There may be additional immunization requirements for members of the Armed Forces based on their risks of exposure to diseases like rabies, Japanese encephalitis, anthrax, or adenovirus among others. When a Marine or Sailor becomes ill in the field, the unit would do everything to get them to the best care possible. Emergency evacuation could endanger other teammates and disrupt the missions, not to mention being very costly, which is why immunization is an important initiative to keep our Marines and Sailors safe.
“Sometimes our Sailors or Marines may be concerned about being a ‘pin-cushion,’” says Captain Ilin Chuang, a vaccine researcher and preventive medicine & infectious disease physician from Navy & Marine Corps Public Health Center. “I have received many of these additional vaccines for my deployments and being stationed in Southeast Asia for years and would much rather receive these vaccines when I am healthy as extra armors of protection.”
Immunization of pregnant Marines and Sailors helps to keep them and their babies healthy. Pregnancy is challenging enough, immunization reduces further stress of vaccine-preventable illnesses. A CDC study in 2018 showed getting a flu shot reduced pregnant women’s risk of being hospitalized with flu by around 40%. Another CDC evaluation in 2017 found Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough) vaccination during the third trimester of pregnancy prevents more than three in four cases of whooping cough in babies younger than two months old.
Receiving an immunization is not always a complete wall against viral or bacterial infections; however, it can reduce the severity and lessen the chance of spreading. Receiving the influenza shot each season has proven to reduce hospitalization and improve rapid recovery. Just like medications, each vaccine has side effects, but these side effects are usually mild, and the benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risks.
Military Medicine has invested a great deal with a long history of developing safe and effective immunizations for viruses such as Hepatitis A, Japanese Encephalitis, and Adenovirus, as well as conducting clinical trials for malaria and dengue fever.
The Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center (NMCPHC) develops and shapes public health for the U.S. Navy and Marines Corps through health surveillance, epidemiology and analysis, disease and injury prevention, and public health consultation. Learn more by going to www.nmcphc.med.navy.mil. Follow NMCPHC on social media at https://www.facebook.com/NavyAndMarineCorpsPublicHealthCenter http://twitter.com/nmcphc and https://www.instagram.com/nmcphc/
| Date Taken: | 08.31.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 08.31.2021 13:49 |
| Story ID: | 404240 |
| Location: | PORTSMOUTH, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 209 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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