I did it. After rescheduling twice, once for a funeral and once in order to give blood, I got my shots today. At least most of them. I need to double check with my primary care physician about polio and flu.
I understand the need for vaccines. I know people who have had polio, one of whom now suffers with post-polio syndrome. They would have had a far different life if the polio vaccine had been discovered earlier. I was a proud Rotarian when we thought that polio had been irradiated. But it has not. Because parents have become afraid to immunize children. Because in some parts of the world, including Kenya, the shot is too expensive and children remain vulnerable. Rotary has done much to end polio and I just signed their petition.
I was surprised that polio was on the suggested list. I guess the vaccine I had as a child doesn’t last forever. Here in the States it probably would have been sufficient. But in Kenya, less clear.
We can be clear that immunizations do not cause autism. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/Concerns/Autism/Index.html
We can also be proud that some of the research on the pneumonia vaccine is coming from Kenya. http://www.irinnews.org/report/99858/pneumonia-vaccine-shows-promise-in-kenya Pneumonia is the leading cause of death for children under 5 with 1.1 million children dying each year. The research is actually coming out of Kisumu, one of the cities to which we will be traveling. Perhaps we will see this research facility in action.
American Jewish World Service is doing good work in Kenya:
http://ajws.org/who_we_are/publications/country_profiles/kenya_country_profile.pdf
I learned some interesting things. Vaccines for foreign travel are not covered by American insurance. That the treatment if you contracted any of the diseases would be far worse–and ironically would then be covered by insurance. That the anticipation of the shot is worse than the actual shot. That we need to be doing more of this kind of thing in Kenya but that it is difficult to deliver the services without solving (!) the violence against women, children and the LGBT community. So if my arm is sore tonight, it is a small price to pay. Really.