Before traveling overseas, it’s customary to schedule a medical consultation to determine which vaccines, medications and precautions to take before, during, and after travel.
Since we are planning to visit numerous parts of the world including South America, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, India, Southeast Asia, and the Southern Pacific, we’ll need nearly every vaccine you can think of, including those for hepatitis, polio, rabies, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis, and typhoid fever.
Fortunately, due to previous international travel, I already have some of the recommended vaccinations under my belt, including Hepatitis A & B and Japanese encephalitis. The typhoid fever oral vaccine is only good for five years, so I get to do that one again. I’ll also be getting vaccines for yellow fever and for rabies, which requires a series of three shots at specific time intervals.
When the travel nurse asked if I’d had the MMR vaccine, I relayed the “family lore” that I had received more than my fair share of childhood immunizations, due to the repeated loss of my immunization records.
She countered that many people believe wholeheartedly that they received the MMR vaccination as a child, only to take a blood titer test that determines they have no antibodies and, thus, no immunity.
Perhaps this is the time to point out that I’m pro-vaccine generally, and personally. Unless there’s a really good reason for you, as an individual, to avoid them (and there ARE good reasons), I think we’re all better off when (nearly) all of us are vaccinated. You know – herd immunity and all. Besides, I don’t have a good reason not to be vaccinated, even redundantly. I have received numerous vaccines over dozens of years without negative side effects. I also have a habit of collecting travel bugs in remote places, days away from the nearest medical clinic, so why not eliminate the possibility of contracting some of the world’s deadliest bugs with a shot or four?
“Can’t I just skip the blood test and get the vaccination anyway?” I asked.
“We recommend getting the titer test, just to be sure,” she responded.
Did I mention that the immunization is free, but I have to pay a lab fee for having blood drawn? And there could be an additional fee for running the blood test itself?
So – I decided to try the next best thing: digging up my childhood immunization records in the most likely place a poor rural family like mine would go to get vaccines: the local health department in Rowan County North Carolina. Before I could get a human on the phone (a very friendly and helpful lady, if I do say so myself!), I had to navigate the voicemail tree.
I nearly snorted coffee out of my nose when I heard the following phrase in a thick, Southern accent: “PAIR-uh AY-span-yol, MAR-kay uh LOOna.”
Now, I’m pretty sure she meant, “Para Espanol, marque el uno,” or “For Spanish, press one.” To be honest, I’m not so sure a native Spanish-speaker would recognize that statement as Spanish. But I digress…
The Rowan County Health Department did not have any records indicating I had received the MMR vaccine, so that was a dead end.
The next step? Ask Mom.
I texted, “Hi Mom! I have a strange question I hope you can answer. I’m trying to determine whether I have received the MMR vaccine, and where/when that happened. Any guesses?”
She texted back this photo of my immunization “report card” from 1969 – 1978. And – lo and behold – I was vaccinated for measles and rubella in 1972, for rubeola in 1974, and for mumps in 1975. In addition, I was vaccinated for DTP – Polio three times in 1969, and again 1974 and 1978. This means I can mark at least two vaccinations off my list.
“Thanks, Mom! Wow! That’s amazing! You’re my hero!”
“That’s what moms do,” she responded. “We keep the important stuff and never stop loving you.”
Note to self: next time, start with Mom.