OW Vaccines

Are there any suggestions to any types of preventitive vaccines if any that would be of benifit in these longer OW swims? The bodies of water that I enter are not all bad...Lake Mich, finger lakes, Lake Erie, Potomac. As endurance atletes we are already a little bit immuno compromised. Plus, my insurance is changing and figured I would get caught up before the end of the year if possible. Thanks. How are endurance athletes immunocompromised? Seems to me a specific anti-bug vaccine would reflect the critters you're likely to ancounter, but a tetanus shot (every 10 years) probably wouldn't hurt. :coffee:

Your doctor is probably your best info source, but I'd consider especially the Hepatitis A vaccine. OW swimming was one reason I elected to get it when it became available 10 years or so ago. Aside from Hep A and tetanus, I don't know of any other diseases that you could get a vaccine against that you might have a higher risk of catching in a lake or ocean swim than (say) on the bus or at the gym.

I have Hepatitus A & B, both as well as tetanus. The Hep shots are a series over 6 months, so plan ahead. Get your flu shot as well - nothing to do with swimming except that it may keep you from missing a week or two of working out. -LBJ

How are endurance athletes immunocompromised? I've read several research articles on endurance athletes and the "habit" of overtraining. Maybe immuocomprominsed wasn't the best words, how about immuno supressed. I concern myself with this because I have three young and sticky children that find ways to be disgusting all the time. To the rest of the reply's, thanks all. Hep. and tetnus were what I was thinking. All up to date there. I'll check w/ my doc and see if he thinks of anything else.

She said that since I had a hep. shot in the army 35 years ago, and a tetanus shot last year, I was good to go. A vaccine against Hepatitis A did not exist 35 years ago. (Neither did one against Hep B, although you are not too likely to catch that by swimming.) The Hep A vaccine went on the market in the mid-90s. Before it became available, if you were likely to be exposed to Hep A they gave you an immune globulin shot, which went into your butt cheek and stung like pure fire and left a big welt. It was supposed to provide a few months' worth of protection.

I`m in the process of swimming around all of the piers on the Calif. coast and I started on the Mexican Border swimming around the Imperial Beach Pier . I.B. is next to the Tijuana Estuary,..its a toilet. I ask my Doctor if I needed any shots. She said that since I had a hep. shot in the army 35 years ago, and a tetanus shot last year, I was good to go.

there are two other vaccines I'd consider, the shingles/chicken pox vaccine although you wont' catch it in the water per se. Shingles is a version of chicken pox that hsows up in adults and can cause permanent disability its now reccomended to get this shot when you are? over 50 I think? but you can get shingles in your 30's and 40's. Another is the pnuemonia shot again not waterbourne but an issue and reccomended for folks in their ?60's? (check me on those) but I've also seen younger folks suffering.

I`m in the process of swimming around all of the piers on the Calif. coast and I started on the Mexican Border swimming around the Imperial Beach Pier . I.B. is next to the Tijuana Estuary,..its a toilet. I ask my Doctor if I needed any shots. She said that since I had a hep. shot in the army 35 years ago, and a tetanus shot last year, I was good to go. If in doubt, they can check your levels via a simple blood test. I'd definately consider that. -LBJ

i have had hep-a vaccinations, and i keep my tetanus up to date. also, if i am swimming in water that i believe has been "compromised" i will begin a session of antibiotics pre-swim.

I always recommend gamma globulin which were once provided by several race directors at venues with questionable water quality levels years ago. The practice stopped due to costs.