'Bum better than thigh' for jabs

[Guest guest]

Funny - there was a study a couple of days ago that concluded that *long*

needles were better than *short* ones. And a member concluded that gluteal

vaccinations were less than desirable because there was a risk of the needle

not penetrating the fatty deposits of the muscle. No consistency of

opinion here then....

If doctors can't even agree about something like this, how on earth can we

believe they are accurate about *anything* concerning vaccination practices?

http://www.ntnews.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,7034,19966795%255E421,00.h

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'Bum better than thigh' for jabs

31jul06

VACCINATING babies with an injection in the bottom rather than the thigh is

far superior, claims a doctor who is challenging the way Australia immunises

children.

Newcastle University academic Dr Ian Cook will tell a national medical

conference today he believes the Federal Government should overhaul its

recommendations for administering vaccines.

Current guidelines urge doctors to vaccinate children under one-year-old in

the thigh with a long, thick needle inserted on a 60-degree angle.

But Dr Cook, a GP, believes injections given in the first year - whooping

cough, diphtheria, tetanus and influenza - are less painful and more

effective when given in the buttock.

" It's a vastly superior area, I think it should be used, " said Dr Cook, who

has published nine studies on the topic.

" There's less reaction, like redness, swelling, bruising, persistent crying,

fever and irritability than giving it in the thigh. "

In his practice, the doctor also uses a thinner, shorter needle - labelling

the long one " unnecessary " .

" In actual fact, you risk hitting the bone when it's fully inserted, " he

said.

And Dr Cook said Australia was the only country in the world still

recommending the needle be inserted on an angle, based on one incident.

" A child once lost its leg and its life through gangrene after an injection

so the doctor suggested it should be angled and Australia took it up, " he

said.

" That's no basis to be making decisions, we need real, evidence-based

research. "

Dr Cook will tell the National Public Health Association Immunisation

Conference in Sydney that Australia's guidelines are outdated and must be

revised.

He said evidence-based medicine was the way of the future, with decisions

based on thorough research by those directly involved with vaccination.

" Having government experts making recommendations about things they're not

directly involved in, and us following along, is not the way to do things, "

Dr Cook said.

" And it's certainly not in the best interests of our patients. "

He said the Commonwealth needed to put more emphasise on funding research

projects to help make informed decisions in the area.

" I have and it's cost me probably several hundred thousand dollars, " the

doctor said.

" There may be some questions about what I've done but at least I've done

something to try to deliver the best things for the people who rely on me. "