Upper Peninsula Health Education Corporation

Luoma Named to Michigan Advisory Council on Immunization

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

MARQUETTE  –  Vaccine-preventable disease levels are near record lows. This is in part due to groups like the Michigan Advisory Council on Immunization (MACI) and the Michigan Department of Public Health, as well as their national counterparts, and physician volunteers who give their time to help increase immunization coverage levels.

David Luoma, MD, is one such doctor. A family medicine physician at Marquette’s FamilyCare Doctors, Dr. Luoma has been named the UP representative of the MACI and recently gave a travel medicine presentation entitled “Planning for Healthy Travel” to the Michigan Department of Community Health statewide conference in Lansing, Michigan. 

The MACI was formed in 1992 to provide policy recommendations to the Michigan Department of Community Health Division of Immunization.  Current membership includes representatives from the Michigan Health and Hospital Association, the Michigan State Medical Society, the Michigan Osteopathic Association, the Michigan Chapter of the American Academy of Family Physicians, and various other public health and health related organizations. The increased number of vaccines recommended for children and adults, and the challenges of vaccine financing, make the MACI’s role essential to our state.  

In addition to his work with domestic immunizations, Dr. Luoma is board certified in travel medicine. Every year millions of Americans travel abroad for vacation, business, or to visit friends and family. Unfortunately, about half of international travelers get sick or injured during their trip. Routine vaccinations are necessary for protection from diseases that are still common in many parts of the world even though they rarely occur in the United States, and it is important that these vaccinations be up to date. 

Which vaccinations you need depends on a number of factors including your destination, whether you will be spending time in rural areas, the season of the year you are traveling, your age, health status, and previous immunizations. Ideally, when traveling abroad, a visit to your doctor or a travel medicine provider should be set up four to six weeks before your trip.  Most vaccines take time to become effective in your body and some vaccines must be given in a series over a period of days or sometimes weeks.

However, if it is less than four weeks before you leave, you should still see your doctor.

Many diseases have been curbed by extended immunization coverage and awareness. But they are not gone. They are prevalent in other countries and merely dormant in the United States. Dr. Luoma and his peers are working to keep these maladies in check.

Each person has a unique medical profile (overall health, use of medication, family and personal disease history) that can affect decisions about vaccination. Work with your healthcare professional to choose the best health strategy for you, including choices about vaccination.

For more information on immunizations, visit the Michigan Department of Community Health website:  http://www.michigan.gov/mdch.