PSA - Pertussis vaccine
In case anyone is unaware: there is a pertussis outbreak going on right now. It's a very mild disease in adults, but it is really serious in infants and small children - and if you haven't yet gotten an adult vaccine, you should if you have small children, are thinking about having small children, or spend any significant amount of time around other people's small children. (Note: it is not recommended for anyone who is currently pregnant - they suggest getting it immediately postpartum instead).
The vaccine is called TDaP - tetanus, diptheria, and pertussis. Yes, it's a tetanus shot - and yes, there is the usual corresponding arm soreness - but it isn't as bad as it used to be. They changed the tetanus vaccine sometime in the last 6 years. Lee and I got our shots on Saturday, and my arm is sore, but I think it was a lot worse the last time I got a tetanus shot. The pertussis vaccine was updated in 1996 - my mom freaked out when I told her we were getting the shots because the old version had a lot of side effects (made people kinda sick), but the newer one is purified proteins instead of killed virus and is a lot milder.
So, in short, if you're around little kids, get vaccinated to protect them.
The vaccine is called TDaP - tetanus, diptheria, and pertussis. Yes, it's a tetanus shot - and yes, there is the usual corresponding arm soreness - but it isn't as bad as it used to be. They changed the tetanus vaccine sometime in the last 6 years. Lee and I got our shots on Saturday, and my arm is sore, but I think it was a lot worse the last time I got a tetanus shot. The pertussis vaccine was updated in 1996 - my mom freaked out when I told her we were getting the shots because the old version had a lot of side effects (made people kinda sick), but the newer one is purified proteins instead of killed virus and is a lot milder.
So, in short, if you're around little kids, get vaccinated to protect them.