with as many as 500

fertieg97

By Catherine Holecko,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], Family Fitness Guide

On Halloween night, after our daughter spent nearly two hours trick-or-treating, we all recalled what a difference it was from last year--when she was felled by the flu. Although we had always gotten flu shots in the past, last year my daughter contracted H1N1 flu before any doses of that vaccine became available in our area. And missing out on Halloween fun was just one consequence; she was absent from school for a week, and I missed a lot of work caring for her. Thankfully, she recovered without developing pneumonia or any other serious complications. (Every year, the flu kills 24,000 to 36,000 people. Sobering, isn't it?)
Along with several other science, health, and fitness bloggers, I was invited to tour a vaccine packaging facility in Marietta, Pennsylvania, as GSK's guest (the company paid for my travel and accommodations, plus a lunch from the plant's cafeteria). At this facility, vials or syringes of vaccine arrive from another plant. They've been created in a sterile environment, with as many as 500 (five hundred!) quality checks along the way. But just because they've already been checked, rechecked, and sealed in an airtight container, they are not yet ready for prime time.
My BioMy BlogMy ForumRSS
This year, we all got vaccinated about two weeks ago and we're hoping for a flu-free season. I also had the opportunity, last week, to meet several of the scientists and engineers who help develop and manufacture vaccines for GSK, which left me more convinced than ever of the importance of immunization--for children and adults.
Why do all this? Dr. Len Friedland, the head of clinical and medical affairs for vaccines at GSK, explained it this way: "We can't tolerate any errors. We are giving this vaccine to healthy people." He also addressed the question of why someone who gets a flu shot might still get sick, and talked about some of the reasons why adults are less likely than kids to be up to date on all their vaccines. They may not have a medical "home" like a child has a pediatrician; they may be uninsured; they may forget to return to the doctor for multiple doses of a vaccine.

Dr. Friedland reminded us that being fit and healthy for our families is more than exercising, eating well, and maintaining a healthy weight. It also means not smoking, getting enough sleep--and keeping our vaccines up to date. Check this list of recommended vaccines for adults (from About's Guide to Cold and Flu, Kristina Duda), and make sure you're protecting yourself and your family.

First, a quality control team inspects each and every container. Pick up a vial or syringe, hold it against a white background to check for cracks, particles, or any other anomalies, repeat against a black background, move on to the next one. Only after the containers pass this test are they put into the packaging line to be labeled, boxed, matched up with the proper leaflet, bundled in groups, and packed into a carton. If the inspecting job sounds tedious, it is. In fact, the inspectors only work for 10-15 minutes at a time before taking a break. There is even a poster on the wall showing stretching exercises for them to do. I really wanted to take a picture of that (fitness at work!), but cameras weren't allowed. We also had to leave behind our purses, cell phones, and all jewelry except for flat wedding bands, and suit up in disposable lab coats, gloves, hairnets, and shoe covers. Learning about the levels of cleanliness and sterility was fascinating. In the most aseptic areas, just getting dressed for work--in scrubs, gowns, hoods, masks, goggles, and so on--is a process that takes 20 minutes!