Vaccinations

The city will co-sponsor a low-cost pet vaccination clinic Saturday from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Pet owners who want to inoculate their dogs or cats can visit the clinic at Village Pond Park, located on Ridge Route Drive between Rockfield and Muirlands boulevards. Rabies vaccinations for dogs and cats cost $4 while DHLPP shots for canine distemper cost $9. Dogs are required by law to have rabies vaccinations every three years and veterinarians recommend annual distemper shots.

Vaccines aren't just for kids, but few adults are up-to-date with their shots. These are the adult immunizations recommended by the Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention : VACCINEAGE RANGEFREQUENCY Tetanus, diptheria, pertussis (Td/Tdap)19 and upOnce every 10 years Human papillomavirus (HPV)19-263 doses, women only Varicella (chickenpox)19 and up2 doses Zoester (herpes)60 and up1 dose Measles, mumps, rubella19-491 or 2 doses Measles, mumps, rubella50 and up1 dose, if other risk factor present Influenza19-491 dose per year, if some other risk factor is present Influenza50 and up1 dose per year Pneumococcal19-64 1 or 2 doses, if some other risk factor is present Pneumococcal65 and up1 dose Hepatitis A19 and up2 doses, if some other risk factor is present Hepatitis B19 and up3 doses, if some other risk factor is present Meningococcal19 and up1 or more doses, if some other risk factor is present Vaccines are indicated for people who lack evidence of immunity.

Re "Flu's sticking point," Jan. 19 I read your article with great interest, looking forward to my fellow nurses explaining how important it is for people - healthcare workers in particular - to get their yearly flu shot. Instead, I learned that the very people responsible for educating their patients were themselves believers of false science. One nurse who tells postpartum mothers to get the flu shot for their newborns and themselves refused to get vaccinated herself. It surely wouldn't encourage me to vaccinate.

A rising number of California parents are choosing to send their children to kindergarten without routine vaccinations, putting hundreds of elementary schools in the state at risk for outbreaks of childhood diseases eradicated in the U.S. years ago. Exemptions from vaccines -- which allow children to enroll in public and private schools without state-mandated shots -- have more than doubled since 1997, according to a Times analysis of state data obtained last week.

The long-term care facility operated by the Motion Picture & Television Fund, which in previous years faced criticism from nursing home advocates over quality of care issues and staffing levels, got some good news this week. U.S. News & World Report placed the fund's nursing home, which caters to entertainment industry workers and was once slated for closure, on its 2013 list of "Best Nursing Homes in California. " The facility, known as Motion Picture Home, received a five-star rating from U.S. News & World Report for having quality measures and nurse staff levels above state and national averages, the fund announced in a statement.

California is among the 18 states that make it easy for parents to refuse to vaccinate their children who attend public schools. All they have to do is sign a form saying that inoculations run counter to their personal beliefs. Most states require a religious-belief exemption, which results in dramatically higher vaccination rates. A bill by Assemblyman Richard Pan (D-Sacramento), a pediatrician, would tighten the state's rules. To claim the personal-belief exemption, parents would be required under AB 2109 to discuss the risks and benefits of vaccination with a health professional; then they would be free to make up their own minds.

A flu vaccine for adults who fear needles began shipping this week to clinics, pharmacies and doctors' offices, according to the manufacturer of the product, Sanofi Pasteur. The device is an ultrafine needle that is inserted under the skin. Typical flu shot needles are one to 1.5 inches long and are inserted into the muscle. The microneedle is 90% shorter -- 0.06 inches. Studies show the vaccine confers as much immunity against flu as standard vaccines. Unfortunately, it's not for kids, who tend to be the biggest criers.

Low cost rabies vaccinations for dogs will be available at the Silver Lake Recreation Center on Saturday from the Southern California Veterinary Medical Assn. in cooperation with the city of Los Angeles Department of Animal Regulation. Rabies vaccinations are required by law. The clinic will also offer an optional six-in-one vaccination against other canine diseases. Rabies shots are $4, and the six-in-one shot is $9. Hours are 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the center, 1850 W. Silver Lake Blvd.

The Kentucky Board of Agriculture urged thoroughbred breeders Wednesday to have non-infected stallions vaccinated against equine viral arteritis, a contagious disease that can cause mares to abort their foals. The board issued the recommendation as it was adopting emergency breeding regulations designed to stop the spread of EVA.