When it comes right down to it, you should get the immunizations recommended by physicians. But not everyone does it.
Dr. Greg Greek, Grand Forks, is convinced they have an impact on well-being and longevity. He believes in immunizations enough to keep records and follow up on them. And for the second year, he is the winner of a national immunization award from the American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation.
Greek is director of the Altru Family Medicine Residency Program here, and he received the "Best Practices" award for creating programs that identified and overcame immunization barriers that might prevent children from receiving vaccines against childhood diseases. The award brings a total of $8,000 to the program here with $5,000 going to the residency program, $2,000 for residents' work in the immunization and $1,000 for a resident to attend an immunization conference.
The Grand Forks Family Medicine Residency is one of 11 winning programs awarded by the foundation funded by a grant from the Wyeth Vaccines.
The basic tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis shots are administered at ages 2, 4 and 6 months with a booster at 12 to 23 months and again at the age of 5. He says polio still is important and it is administered in the same time frame. Hepatitus B shots begin at birth. Other early childhood immunizations are haemophilus influenzae, streptococcus pneumoniae and rotavirus. Influenza shots are recommended from the age of six months to 18 years, according to the Greater
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Grand Forks Immunization Coalition. The recommendations include measles, mumps and rubella shots along with chicken pox and hepatitis A beginning at 1 year to 23 months. And the catch-up doses should be administered from age 7 to 18.
A complete program of recommended vaccinations for all ages is listed in the guide from the Greater Grand Forks Immunization Coalition. An electronic version is available by e-mailing kdunn@grandforksgov.com
Dr. Greek says the importance of following up with shots was demonstrated here in the past year when there was an outbreak of whooping cough in Grand Forks, mostly in adults. It brought attention to the need of booster shots.
Dr. Greek is a family physician and a graduate of the UND School of Medicine. He now works with resident students and sees patients in all age groups. He says new immunizations are available and his only fear is that people might resist them because there are so many. Recent additions are shots for people older than 60 that prevent shingles in about half of the patients and reduce the pain for two-thirds. The HPV Gardasil immunization that prevents or reduces risk of cervical cancer in young women is another breakthrough. He considers it one of the better new vaccines.
Whazzup?
Sioux fans will be talking about the Homecoming football game with Western Washington when they meet at noon today in the Alerus ... Dean Martha Potvin and the UND College of Arts and Sciences are holding an Evening of the Arts as part of Homecoming 2008 tonight in the Empire Arts Center ... "Lend Me a Tenor" is continuing this weekend in Fire Hall Theatre ... And there's an Art and Wine Walk on Saturday afternoon downtown ... The Sioux-Per gala and auction is set for Saturday evening in the Alerus ... Johny Holm Band will play Saturday night at the Homecoming Party in the Olympic Rink in Ralph Engelstand Arena ... UND Sioux men's hockey team has gone to Mankato for games at Minnesota State-Mankato ... Hockey women, on a little roll, are playing Mankato here today and Saturday ...
Ask Marilyn
Q. Where's the best place to stand and watch the UND Homecoming parade?
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A. In front of the Memorial Union, for sure. That way, you can duck inside and warm up if it's cool. The parade starts at 10:30 a.m. and comes down University Avenue from the west. It doesn't go downtown. There's also a walk/run at the Wellness Center from 8 to 9 a.m. Saturday. The king and queen coronation is set for halftime of the football game.
Jerry, Marie
Cheerful person of the week: Jerry Pokrzywinski. Runner up: Marie Poirier.
Reach Hagerty at mhagerty@gra.midco.net or at (701) 772-1055.
