OUCH ! ! ! Have You Gotten All of Your Vaccinations and Immunizations ?

[ASTRAEA]

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@GailL1 wrote:

ss11943859

If you are on Medicare, thanks for saving us money but if you come down with something contagious, it would be nice if you don't spread it around.

Hope you don't get a bad case or shingles or anything else.

Would you give the same advice to parents of small children?  

Would you give the same advice to parents of adolescents or young adults about the meningitis vaccine?

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It's fine to encourage people to get treatment in which you believe, but it gets to be off-putting, when you keep posting that if people get something contagious because they haven't gotten vaccines .. not to spread it around.

I can't begin to tell you what % of colds I've gotten, were due to people who had them & coughed/sneezed all over. All you can do is hope people are courteous, and move away from them quickly. Bashing people is a turn-off.

[GailL1]

ss11943859

If you are on Medicare, thanks for saving us money but if you come down with something contagious, it would be nice if you don't spread it around.

Hope you don't get a bad case or shingles or anything else.

Would you give the same advice to parents of small children?  

Would you give the same advice to parents of adolescents or young adults about the meningitis vaccine?

[ss11943859]

I've heard TOO much about vaccines & their contents & side effects to get any on a regular basis.Did get a DTP ( or whatever) several years ago, & most recently, pneumonia. As for shingles, I had an episode of them a few years ago. just a small rash on my back, quickly cured with meds. No biggie. My daughter-in-law, however, had a worse case. Couldn't wear clothing except for a loose robe. Couldn't even go to work. I won't get that shot either. If I suspect another shingles episode coming on, I'll recognize it.

[retiredtraveler]

"...Ha!   What it really means is that you DIDN' T READ your Medicare book  when it came in the mail !  Ha !   It tells in there what stuff Medicare pays for with no co-pays (irrespective of which Medigap plan you picked)...".

   You're correct. That is the plan for later in the fall.  I pretty much ignore health insurance coverage until the snow starts flying. Then, I will take care of business. 

[GailL1]

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@retiredtraveler wrote:

I didn't know there was a pneumonia shot! My doc has never asked me about getting any vaccinations. Does that mean I have a crappy doc? I have CBC and various tests, including physical, every year. But no one has mentioned vacinations.

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Here is the latest recommended schedule:

CDC 2015 Recommended Immunizations for Adults: By Age

and a more detailed one -

CDC Recommended Adult Immunization Schedule—United States - 2015

Some are covered by Part B and others by Part D - see your plan.

A crappy doc ??  Is he a new one?

But I am glad I brought up this subject since you are the second known now seeking to get up to date.

[byrondennis]

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@retiredtraveler wrote:

I didn't know there was a pneumonia shot! My doc has never asked me about getting any vaccinations. Does that mean I have a crappy doc? I have CBC and various tests, including physical, every year. But no one has mentioned vacinations.

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I think I recall that you just recently joined Medicare, correct? If so, that would likely be why you have not heard of it. Some docs recommend over 60 (probably to former or current smokers or based on some such criteria) while others wait until 65 when Medicare covers it and saves you the cost (some doctors are good at figuring out what your insurance covers; others are not).

On the other hand, if your doctor hasn't mentioned a flu shot annually, then "yeah you have a crappy doc."

[drawpoker]

".....didn't know there was a pneumonia shot! My doc has never asked me about getting any vaccinations. Does that mean I have a crappy doc? I have CBC and various tests, including physical, every year. But no one has mentioned vacinations......" 

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Ha!   What it really means is that you DIDN' T READ your Medicare book  when it came in the mail !  Ha !   It tells in there what stuff Medicare pays for with no co-pays (irrespective of which Medigap plan you picked) 

Is your doc crappy?   Hard to say.  Maybe he or she thinks the patient should bring it up  (?)  Maybe he or she had one of those rare patient cases where someone got Gullien -Barre or some other bad outcome from a vaccine,  and they got sued (?) 

[retiredtraveler]

I didn't know there was a pneumonia shot! My doc has never asked me about getting any vaccinations. Does that mean I have a crappy doc? I have CBC and various tests, including physical, every year. But no one has mentioned vacinations.

[GailL1]

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@drawpoker wrote:

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And,  yes,  Gail,  to answer your question,  I am up to date on Everything -  only a Fool (or an Indigent)  would take a chance on skipping this stuff.  

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ME TOO - Every single one, including both pneumonia bacteria protections  ! !

[drawpoker]

"...........vaccinated for pneumonia. It’s recommended once for people 65 and older who did not have it previously......"

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That used to be true back in the day.  There used to be a single "lifetime" shot that people got in their sixites.   

Now,  there are two distinct pneumonia vaccinations (protecting against differing strains of the bacteria) that are recommended for everyone 65 and older.   (Just remember you can't get them both at the same time,  unlike the flu vaccine which can be given concurrently with one pneumonia shot.

http://www.cdc.gov/features/adult-pneumococcal/

And,  yes,  Gail,  to answer your question,  I am up to date on Everything -  only a Fool (or an Indigent)  would take a chance on skipping this stuff.  You never know what could happen and you end up in the hospital unexpectedly  -  Bacteria 'R Us City.   Anyone with compromised immune system,  recently diagnosed with malignancy or other serious illness,  just has to Google risk factors for shingles for a real wake-up call.   Even at $225 (what I had to pay) the peace of mind alone was worth it.  Also,  unless they discover new data  (?)  the shingles vaccine does confer lifetime protection.