Tech Topics - Spring 2009 - (Page 46) LIFE JACKETS Doctor in the House Adult Vaccines Critical to Maintaining Health By Kimberly Link-Wills Vaccines are not just for children. That was the “takehome message” prescribed by physician Sandra Fryhofer during her Women on Wednesdays presentation at the Alumni House in January. Fryhofer, ChE 79, is a general internist in private practice in Atlanta and an associate professor at the Emory University School of Medicine. She addresses three health topics each week through her blog, “On Call With Dr. Sandy,” on the Woman’s Day Web site. She formerly served as president of the American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine and as Miss Georgia. A frequent contributor to television news programs on health issues, Fryhofer is the mother of twins, a girl and a boy, now attending college. She said the pneumonia vaccine is critical to fight a leading killer of older people. “Everyone who is 65 and older needs it. If you have chronic medical conditions, you need it,” Fryhofer said. “Anyone with asthma needs a pneumonia shot, and all smokers need the pneumonia shot.” Fryhofer also urged attendees at the breakfast seminar to get a flu shot. “More than 60 million people get the flu each year,” she said, adding that 200,000 of those people are hospitalized and 36,000 of them die. Females between the ages of 11 and 26 should get the HPV vaccine to prevent cervical cancer, which claims the lives of 10 women in the United States every day, Fryhofer said. She was present when the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices unanimously endorsed the HPV vaccine at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in June 2006. “There was this round of applause in the entire room. And you just knew at that moment that something great was happening to protect women and to protect our daughters,” Fryhofer said. She also recommended that everyone over the age of 60 get vaccinated to prevent shingles. “If you look to your right and look to your left, one of the three of you will come down with shingles at some time in your life,” Fryhofer said. “Although we think of the rash as being the most distinctive feature, frequently the most debilitating symptom is the pain associated with shingles. “It’s supposed to be more severe than labor pain,” Fryhofer said, making her point with the all-female audience. Touting the Vitamin D supplement as “hot,” Fryhofer said it is important for bone health but also may help prevent cancer, heart disease and diabetes. “Your skin does make Vitamin D when exposed to sunlight, but we all wear sunscreen, right?” she asked. “This is why we’re finding so many people are Vitamin D deficient. What I’m telling my patients is wear sunscreen — we don’t want to get wrinkles, we don’t want to get skin cancer, but we do want to get our Vitamin D — and take a supplement.” The Alumni Association’s Women on Wednesdays networking group meets quarterly for career and personal growth opportunities. More information is available at gtalumni.org/pages/womenalumninetwork. ERIC TURNER Alumni Association Welcomes Nominations for Board of Trustees Nominations currently are being solicited for candidates to serve on the Georgia Tech Alumni Association Board of Trustees for terms that will begin July 1. Nominees must be alumni of Georgia Tech and have a significant record of supporting the Institute through a variety of activities. A nominating committee comprised of the current Alumni Association chair and the past three chairs will convene in April to review all candidates and propose a final list of nominees. A ballot of candidates for the board will be published in the Summer issue of TECH TOPICS. To submit nominations, fill out the form at right. Self-nominations will be accepted. Please include a resume or brief biographical profile. Deadline for nominations is March 9. Nominee Class/Degree Telephone Number: Home Work Home Address E-mail Address Company and Title Nominated by Class/Degree Telephone Number: Home Work Home Address E-mail Address Mail to: Trustee Nominations, Attention Jolie Rosenberg Georgia Tech Alumni Association,190 North Ave. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30313 46 TechTopics | Spring 2009 http://www.gtalumni.org/pages/womenalumninetwork
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