Flu - Appalachian Trail

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#1

Reading about WS’s unpleasant encounter with pneumonia and having as of my return from CA thru x-mas been swamped with the 2000 flu bug (should have gotten the shot) has got me thinking about a possible doctor visit prior to leaving. Just curious to hear how other folks are or are not getting examined and shot up for the trail. -Sweeper

Sweeper

#2

I am heading out almost 100% against medical advice. I have 2 herniated disc and have been told I ca’t, shouldn’t backpack. This hasn’t stopped me in the past and it won’t stop me now. Other then that I do plan on having that annual physical that I haven’t had in 5 years. Just for GP’s and too see if there is anything else I should watch out for. Maybe even get some helpful meds for the arthritis now that we have insurance again. -hamockhngr

hamockhngr

#3

Don’t touch the nieces and nephews before the trip. They’re breeders for the elementary school plague. Very nasty. One has strep now. Away away begone, though hast brought the scourge of the Trail we thee!

Bushwhack

#4

Hey Sweeper, I finally got on the forum. Ta da!! I too am getting the flu shot and even a tetnus tomorrow, and Dusty is getting a pneumona shot just to be safe. My twin sister has the deadly flu version in Northern CA and it’s not nice. So take any precautions necessary to keep the little buggers away. Don’t forget to carry the waterless hand sanitizer w/you on the trail. Stay safe and be careful. See ya on the trail.

Skipper

#5

Did not know there was such a thing. Anybody know the cost and any details of such a shot. I’m not up on my ailment know-what, but is not pneumonia the flooding of the lungs with fluid and more of a heredity (one would be more/less susceptible than the next guy/gal) sort of thing. Sorry for my total ignorance. I’m taking some precautions for sure. Next Monday, I have the pleasure of going to the dentist to have 2-3 teeth drilled. Better now than later ya know. Too many snickers and too little flossing I guess. Good luck on everybody’s upcoming hike. I may see some of you guys, but I’m now leaving a tad earlier because I’m insane like that. (Feb. 1st). So bundle-up all because winter is back! -Sweeper

Sweeper

#6

Well, we got our shots and I feel like an invert porcupine. Dusty didn’t get the pneumonia shot as we had wished. She needed to have a prescription from her doc to get the thing. It’s not cheap from what I understand and the clinic wants to make sure that you really need it, like really being suseptible(sp) to pneumonia. Which she is, but couldn’t convince the clinic of that since it wasn’t in her medical records. Anyway, the shot is called PNEUMOVAX 23.
There is also an immunization available for Lymes Disease, but it requires taking a couple months prior to being in tick infested area and is very expensive, so not so readily available. Hope this helps. - Skipper 2/26/01

Skipper

#7

Yes, they are for real, and they do work for some types of Pneumonias. Sweeper is right in describing the symptoms, but there are several types of pneumonia, and the shot won’t prevent all, so you still have to be careful. I knew, but have forgotten. Pneumonia can be either viral or bacterial, or both at the same time. I think the shot will protect pretty well against the bacterial and not the viral. It may be just the opposite. Another point, the shots were touted as being good for a lifetime, but they have discovered they should be repeated every ten years, I think. Please check on my failing memory.

Trailblazer75

#8

Being an unwilling expert on pneumonia and the effects on a AT thru-hiker,I suppose some comments from are in order.Getting this on the trail can be a trip breaker.I was confined to bed for almost a week and lost 30 pounds. I could not eat anything for additional two weeks.Antibiotics for three weeks. I did not feel myself completly well til past Hot Springs,NC,a month later. It sure cut into my stamina and willingness to hike on a daily basis. GET THE SHOTS…REPEAT, GET THE SHOTS. The flu shot is good for one year,the PNU. shot is good for five years. Lymex shots are still experimental in nature. NEEDS 3 shots over one year to be efective and expensive ($300)Hard to find vaccine too.Good for roughly 10 years.That is not going to help most people.You can find free or cheap flu& PNU shots. Ask county public agencies. I got mine free on the AT in October in Mass. at a scheduled health clinic in the local area. Unfortunately it was 8 months too late to prevent my early trail misery.I hope this helps answer some questions.Trailblazer75 wrote:

Yes, they are for real, and they do work for some types of Pneumonias. Sweeper is right in describing the symptoms, but there are several types of pneumonia, and the shot won’t prevent all, so you still have to be careful. I knew, but have forgotten. Pneumonia can be either viral or bacterial, or both at the same time. I think the shot will protect pretty well against the bacterial and not the viral. It may be just the opposite. Another point, the shots were touted as being good for a lifetime, but they have discovered they should be repeated every ten years, I think. Please check on my failing memory.

Wyoming Skateboarder

#9

As a family physician, I thought I could shed some light on this discussion.

I certainly recommend getting flu shots. These will prevent most forms of influenza and have NO physical side effects (except perhaps a sore arm).

The Lyme disease vaccine has not been available for people for more than 10 years. I practice in an area endemic for Lyme. I had my series and even got a booster when they were pulling the vaccine off the market. The vaccine is only currently recommended for dogs and horses. The company took the vaccine off the market because of financial reasons. The marketing for this was a bit excessive and sparked some lawsuits. It may very well become available as an orphan drug when the patent expires. It remains available for dogs and horses because it is reasonably effective (and because dogs and horses don’t sue vaccine manufacturers after some unusual or psychologically-based illness shows up). I would not give the versions for dogs and horses to humans. However, if it did become available for humans again, I would certainly get another booster myself.

There are two separate pneumonia vaccines. They both work against the same bacteria - streptococcus pneumoniae. Strep pneumonia is the most common form of bacterial pneumonia but only accounts for ~40% of pneumonias in non-smokers (and an even lower percentage in smokers). Most pneumonias will follow a viral illness so the best way to prevent pneumonia is keeping yourself healthy to be able to prevent complications from developing after you get the inevitable viral infection. The best things to do are to not smoke and to stay away from smokers (as there seems to be far too much smoking on the trails and even second or third hand (exposure to a smoker who smokes outdoors away from you) smoke exposure will cause disease). A good well-rounded diet is also helpful (as many hikers give up on veggies and fruit). BTW, exposure to wood smoke from campfires does not seem to carry the same risk for disease as tobacco (which is far more dangerous).

The older Pneumovax covers 23 different strains but doesn’t work as well as the newer vaccine. Boosters are recommended after 10 years (or at least once after until age 65). This is only recommended for senior citizens, smokers, or people with lung diseases or poor immune systems. There can be significant side effects if you get a booster too soon (I’ve seen several people hospitalized after getting a booster within a year with what was initially thought to be cellulitis (a skin infection).

The newer pneumonia vaccine, Prevnar only covers 13 strains of pneumonia but seems to have much better and longer immunity. This has been given to babies for ~17 years and has been highly effective. Within the last several years, it has been recommended for senior citizens and there are starting to be recommendations to give this to people with poor immune systems. The best sites don’t recommend this yet for smokers or people with lung disease yet but I would suspect that we may eventually give this to everyone (particularly if they come up with a vaccine which covers even more strains (as the original version only covered 7 strains).

The only other vaccine which I would make sure that every hiker gets is a tetanus shot.

To summarize, if you are otherwise healthy, making sure your tetanus vaccine is up to date (within 10 years) and getting a flu shot if you are hitting the trail before April are really the only vaccines necessary before hitting the trail.

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