Going to Lowes Motor Speedway this week? Better get your shots!

A group of congressional aides who were heading to Talladega Motor Speedway last weekend and Lowes Motor Speedway this weekend were given immunization shots which would protect them against hepatitis A, hepatitis B, influenza, tetanus and diphtheria. The team was on a fact finding mission to explore public health issues at heavily attended events. The Charlotte Observer reported Rep. Robin Hayes wrote to Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss) who chaired the panel:

"I have never heard of immunizations for domestic travel, and as the
representative for Concord, N.C., I feel compelled to ask why the heck the
committee feels that immunizations are needed to travel to my hometown."

Well, if you haven't gotten a tetanus shot, you should probably do that and it's a great time to get a flu shot. But hepatitis? Did you ask your aides get hepatitis shots for that Christmas party last year? You know the one you invited Pamela Anderson to. This is crazy, it's Alabama not Africa. Or are our school systems that terrible?

Thompson replied:

"Since committee staff members are visiting hospital and other health-care
facilities available at or near these venues, including areas where groups of
people are detained before being transferred to other off-site facilities, I
believe that the recommendation (not requirement) that our congressional staff
receive these same immunizations was sound."

Are these hospitals in third world countries? Yeah, you should probably give people shots when they go to say Kenya or Ethiopia but not Alabama or North Carolina! Besides the fact that this is a complete waste of money, this guy’s from Mississippi, the heart of NASCAR country. Enjoy getting reelected next year, Bennie!
(source)

It's been fun bloggging with you,
Kate