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Vaccination, or assault?
Apr. 11th, 2011 11:37 amHmm.... Just back from my annual checkup with the doctor. This is usually an easy appointment; I like the PCP I have, and I'm happy to get an annual blood test, to tell me which way things are headed. I opt out of PSA testing, because for the most part, there's not much they can do with a positive result until there are some more obvious symptoms - but of course they do the mandatory DRE (Digital Rectal Examination), since I am now 'of that age'.
This time, the doctor asked me when I last had a tetanus booster. I had to confess to not being sure - probably around five years ago I thought. His advice was to get a booster now, so that they'd have it on record. I said OK.
What I expected was a regular tetanus booster shot; what I got was something called Tdap. This is a three-vaccine combo that the medical community has been pushing recently for kids in particular. It includes Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis (whooping cough) vaccines. At no time did anyone tell me that was what was in the shot; but they did give me 'after-care' instructions for the vaccination, and I'm one of those people who read everything. In the notes, they mentioned two shots - Td (Tetanus and Diphtheria) and Tdap. The important note there was that Tdap is licensed as a ONCE ONLY - that is, once in a lifetime, injection.
Now as a child, I had separate injections against all three diseases. Subsequently, I had boosters for Tetanus (and I assume, Diphtheria, though I wasn't aware of that). Now they've given me an injection for whooping cough, even though I've been vaccinated before. When I went back to the nurse who'd given me the shot, she said they'd checked my record, and I hadn't had Tdap before. Well, not at the UNM facility, no. I might have had it the last time I had a booster (it only became available in 2005, and my last booster was sometime after that). In any case, they didn't ask me about my childhood immunizations, which included both Diphtheria, and Pertussis.
Am I going to die or develop dangerous side effects? Probably not. But I'm really rather annoyed that they did this without discussing the actual content of the injection (since I believed it was JUST a Tetanus booster), and without asking me for a full medical record.
I guess at least if I keel over and die, Bill will be able to sue them.
This time, the doctor asked me when I last had a tetanus booster. I had to confess to not being sure - probably around five years ago I thought. His advice was to get a booster now, so that they'd have it on record. I said OK.
What I expected was a regular tetanus booster shot; what I got was something called Tdap. This is a three-vaccine combo that the medical community has been pushing recently for kids in particular. It includes Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis (whooping cough) vaccines. At no time did anyone tell me that was what was in the shot; but they did give me 'after-care' instructions for the vaccination, and I'm one of those people who read everything. In the notes, they mentioned two shots - Td (Tetanus and Diphtheria) and Tdap. The important note there was that Tdap is licensed as a ONCE ONLY - that is, once in a lifetime, injection.
Now as a child, I had separate injections against all three diseases. Subsequently, I had boosters for Tetanus (and I assume, Diphtheria, though I wasn't aware of that). Now they've given me an injection for whooping cough, even though I've been vaccinated before. When I went back to the nurse who'd given me the shot, she said they'd checked my record, and I hadn't had Tdap before. Well, not at the UNM facility, no. I might have had it the last time I had a booster (it only became available in 2005, and my last booster was sometime after that). In any case, they didn't ask me about my childhood immunizations, which included both Diphtheria, and Pertussis.
Am I going to die or develop dangerous side effects? Probably not. But I'm really rather annoyed that they did this without discussing the actual content of the injection (since I believed it was JUST a Tetanus booster), and without asking me for a full medical record.
I guess at least if I keel over and die, Bill will be able to sue them.
