Health : Medical Records Lost? When in Doubt, It’s Better to Get Measles Shots Again
If you can’t track down your vaccination records, there’s no harm in getting reimmunized for measles, experts say. And in an effort to quell the measles outbreak at USC, which felled star quarterback Rodney Peete and about 37 other students, free vaccinations will be offered to USC students from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today and Wednesday in front of the campus statue of Tommy Trojan.
Those born after 1956 who can’t recall if they’ve been immunized should be vaccinated again, doctors recommend. “If there’s any doubt, it’s better to get another one,” said Dr. Loraine Stern, a past president of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a Newhall pediatrician.
Dr. Stephen Waterman, chief of acute communicable diseases for the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, said studies show those born after 1956 are most susceptible. “People older than that have probably had measles and are probably immune,” he added.
County guidelines suggest children be vaccinated at 12 months, instead of the previously recommended 15, Waterman noted. Women contemplating pregnancy also should be vaccinated, he said, while women already pregnant should bypass the vaccine and avoid exposures to measles.
The measles vaccine protects against rubeola, the 10-day variety affecting USC students, and against rubella, or German measles, Waterman said. Blood tests to detect antibodies to measles are available, but not generally recommended because of their cost.
About 500 cases have been reported in Los Angeles County this year. For information about free measles vaccinations call the County Department of Health Services at (213) 974-7937.
New Condom on Market
In January, a Chicago, Ill., firm expects to begin distributing Microcondom, an abbreviated version of the traditional condom that promises to be more “partner-friendly.” Manufactured by Anthl Laboratories Inc. and developed in conjunction with the University of Chicago, Microcondom covers just the tip of the penis with a thicker-than-average latex barrier held in place by a pressure-sensitive adhesive. In a study of 97 subjects, the adhesive did not cause skin inflammation, company vice president Robert Greenwald said.
Priced at $1.50, the new condom was granted marketing clearance by the Food and Drug Administration for its contraceptive claims only, FDA spokeswoman Eva Kemper emphasized.
Cautioned Cecil Fox, a scientist at the National Institutes of Health and an AIDS expert: “I would recommend individuals not use condoms for the prevention of disease unless they cover the entire length of the penis.”
Dr. Donna Shoupe, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at USC, said Microcondom might “afford some protection” against some sexually transmitted diseases.
Help for Infertile Women
A new nonsurgical technique to clear blocked Fallopian tubes could prove helpful to infertile women, said Dr. Michael Vermesh, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at USC, one of seven institutions now studying the treatment. During the one-hour outpatient procedure called transcervical balloon tuboplasty or TBT, a guide wire is inserted through the cervix and uterus and into the Fallopian tube. A balloon-tipped catheter is then passed on top of the wire and inflated at the site of the obstruction.
More than 90% of the women who underwent TBT at Chicago’s Mt. Sinai Hospital Medical Center, where the technique was developed, had their tubes opened successfully, said Vermesh, who has just begun studying the procedure here. Women ages 18-42 who have not had unsuccessful tubal surgery may call (213) 742-5979 or 226-3351 for more information.
Vitamins That Go Fizz
Effervescent supplements might be just the thing for those who hate to swallow pills. The new supplements, imported from Germany by Inter-Hermes Pharma, are dissolved in water and include Multilyte, vitamins and minerals; Calcilyte, calcium with Vitamin D; and Citrolyte, Vitamin C. More expensive than traditional vitamins, the fizzy variety, available at some local drug stores and markets, is not recommended for children under 10, said company spokesman Richard Lewis. But Robert Rucker, a UC Davis professor of nutrition who, with a grant from the effervescent vitamin manufacturer, has begun a comparative study of fizzy and traditional vitamins, said it’s too early to say if the effervescent vitamins are more easily absorbed.
