Too many booster shots?

You probably got vaccines as a kid but are they still working??

A new study says you may be over-vaccinated for some diseases... And not enough for others, Dr. Bruce Hensel reported.

“There's no question that vaccinations help prevent deadly diseases. But research shows some adult boosters can be too much of a good thing” Dr. Hensel said.

Matthew Lewis is a medical student who has had to be vaccinated against some pretty exotic diseases.

"Yellow fever and the smallpox were both because of exposures i had in the lab," Lewis said.

He's also had some common booster shots. 

"The tetanus was for a nail that i got driven into my hand,” Lewis said.

After routine immunizations as children, grown-ups are supposed to get a tetanus booster every ten years. Now that practice is raising questions.

"This is without knowing really how long immunity is maintained after these initial booster shots and so the question is why every ten years do you get a booster shot?" Vaccine Researcher Mark Slifka, Ph.D. said.

Researchers are checking blood samples for antibodies to see how long immunity lasts after a vaccination.

"Tetanus and diphtheria are ones that we were able to look at the most closely and we're hoping to look at other vaccines as well," Sifka said.

So far, the findings suggest you may not need diptheria and tetanus every ten years. If you had the measles you don’t need a booster; but if you had the shot after 1959 you do need another shot

"Maybe we need to reevaluate the vaccine schedule that we're using here in the us and maybe change it from once every ten years to once every 30 years," Sifka said.

Researchers say being over-vaccinated isn't harmful. It just may be unnecessary. The study could lead to a simple blood test to check your immunity.

"based on that information, we determine, yeah, it's time for your tetanus shot or, you know, you're fine for measled mumps so you don't need any boosters in that respect," Sifka said.

Tetanus and diptheria may last 30 years. If you get a dirty wound you may need tetanus sooner. If you're traveling you may need hepatitis shots and polio boosters.

 

FAST FACTS:

Vaccines are given to prevent or reduce the risk of infection from certain diseases.

Currently, a tetanus/diphtheria booster is given every ten years.

Recent research suggests a tetanus/diphtheria booster appears to provide protection for at least 30 years.

In the future, doctors may be able to test for antibody levels and then give booster doses of vaccines only as they are needed rather than on a pre-determined schedule.

For more details, refer to our comprehensive research summary.

AUDIENCE INQUIRY:

For general information vaccines:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, http://www.cdc.gov

Immunization Action Coalition, http://www.vaccineinformation.org

National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, http://www.niaid.nih.gov