Attention Adults: You Need Vaccines Too!

Reposted from the CDC:

Vaccinations aren’t just for kids, so follow CDC’s immunization schedule for adults. Doing so can help keep you from getting sick and missing work or school.

As an adult, you are busy with life and have many responsibilities — but don’t forget to take care of yourself! Every year in the United States, thousands of adults become seriously ill and are hospitalized because of diseases that vaccines can help prevent. These diseases can be deadly for many adults. Make sure you are vaccinated for the best protection!

One Flu Over the EMS

Y'ever notice how many things are described as having "flu-like symptoms"? WrongDiagnosis.com lists 129 medications that can have flu-like side-effects, and (once I filtered out the duplicates and minor variations), 58 different maladies, including:

Anthrax
Bowel Bypass Syndrome
Cat Scratch Fever
Chickenpox
Fire ant bite
Food poisoning
HIV/AIDS
Hodgkin's Disease
Legionnaires' Disease
Leukemia
Lyme Disease
Metal Fume Fever
Sandfly Fever
SARS
Slap-Cheek Syndrome
Smallpox
Syphilis
Systemic Capillary Leak Syndrome
Tuberculosis
Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis

So don't worry if you get swine or bird flu symptoms: it might be something totally different.

In any case, that's background for the following news story from the Journal of Emergency Medical Services (JEMS):

LOWELL, MA, Dec. 7 - Expect discussion by the City Council Tuesday night regarding a policy ... under [which] dispatchers have stopped sending firefighters to medical calls where flu might be present ... [Fire Chief Edward] Pitta said he does not want firefighters compromising their health by responding to 911 medical calls for flu-like symptoms, including fever, cough, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, shortness of breath associated with flu, and sore chest associated with cough."

But what if it's Slap-Cheek Syndrome?

Live-blogging from the H1N1 Clinic

11:00 AM
"So, what is DisasterMan doing today? Saving sturdy buildings from fire-breathing kittens? Rescuing the homeless from homes? Searching for 'Lost' DVDs for the homebound?"

"Putting baby powder in his super-tight spandex suit, in a vain attempt to grow babies?"

Why, yes! All those things -- and more! I'm also sitting on my butt in some bleachers at a high school, waving the occasional family in a direction that's already obvious, to go get their H1N1 flu shots.