A vaccine shot in time saves nine

By Fr. Jerome LeDoux
Contributing Columnist

Although I had heard of the terrible itching and oft extreme pain associated with shingles, it has been less than a year since I saw photos of some of the unsightly, painful blisters associated with shingles. This graphic evidence drove me posthaste to get a shingles shot. Seeing what I wrote about it, a dear friend emailed me the following account that she consented to allow me to recount under the veil of anonymity for her sister’s sake.

“One of my younger sisters was diagnosed with this condition over six years ago…it has NEVER gone away. What we hoped would be a normal, routine, run-of-the-mill case of shingles has turned into a lifelong ailment. Painful. Deb­ilitating. My sister left her job teaching at San Jose State because of the blisters and itching and agony caused by this disease. Even wearing clothes was painful.

“Shingles near the human eye can cause permanent blindness. My sister’s case is on the back and around the waistline. She is currently participating in her THIRD blind study case with yet another university medical center hoping to find a cure for this condition, or at least some form of relief from the pain that is forever constant in her life.

“When my sister told me of her onset of shingles over six years ago, I immediately began reading everything about this condition. At that time, the shingles shot was not available here. I even contacted the CDC in Atlanta for answers to my questions. It was about a year later when I was placed on a waiting list at Walgreen’s to be contacted when the medication was received by the pharmacy. I was told that the med had such a short shelf life that it required special handling in transit, and, that we would be called to come into the pharmacy for a one-day-only appointment injection of the med. I was 60 years old by then. Now, it’s pretty much available on a daily basis. I understand that many insurance companies will even cover the cost of the injection as early as age 50.

“I shudder to think of the pain that accompanies so many of our ailments as humans. I cannot not begin to comprehend what our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, suffered for the likes of me. Father LeDoux, please know that we love you. We think of you all of the time. You are as much as a part of the fabric of my being as my own family members. And, you must know just how deeply I love my family. God Bless. Take care. Type at you later!!”

Although the last few sentences are quite personal, I quote them, thinking that you, the reader, will be edified and inspired by them. In any case, they are anonymous. No doubt, you, as I, feel a deep hurt and compassion for my friend and her family. It is hard to believe that as recently as a bit over six years ago a shingles vaccine was hardly available. Since the vaccine is now readily available, there is every reason for getting a shot soon.

Since a million Americans are stricken annually by shingles – aka zoster or herpes zoster – and eventually one in three overall will be afflicted in a lifetime, there is an urgent need to look into its causes, prevention and remedies. If you had chickenpox, you can get shingles from the dormant virus, even if you are a child, but much more likely if you are 60 or older. The virus can be reactivated by something as pedestrian as negative stress.

In addition to age, at greatest risk for having shingles are those with medical issues that impede vital functions of the immune system, such as leukemia, lymphoma, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and immunosuppressive drugs like steroids.

The lessons to be learned here about the shingles virus are unmistakable, even though there are areas of considerable doubt about causes, precautions and possible remedies. Either deterred by fear of the vaccinating needle, or driven by the belief that they are bullet-proof or virus-proof, or living in limbo because of ignorance, disinterest or apathy, millions of people do not trouble themselves to inquire about and get a shot.

Practically the same can be said of the more prevalent threat of influenza whose numbers can be higher and the ways of getting it more numerous and varied. Flu infection may morph into fatal pneumonia and a variety of respiratory or circulatory causes. Of many flu types, the Swine Flu (H1N1) found in pigs worldwide, is the worst, having killed 570-675,000 Americans and 50-100 million people around the globe in the 1918 pandemic.

To sanitize surfaces and objects from cold and flu viruses, use one part bleach to 10 parts water. Sanitize often! Use sanitizer liquids for convenience, but preferably wash your hands vigorously with soap and water whenever necessary. Always better safe than sorry.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimate that the flu kills 36,000 Americans a year, while various sources estimate the worldwide flu annual toll at 250,000 to 500,000. We don’t even need to ask whether it is wise to get an annual flu vaccination. Most flu types kill mainly the youngest, weakest and oldest. But don’t gamble on life and death! Get a shot!

This article originally published in the November 17, 2014 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.