TDP - even for Photographers!

Meghan called to let me know she'd received the photo session/DVD as a baby shower gift from her friend Betty. Meghan is due to have baby Rowen in about six weeks and we discussed her newborn picture options and possibly a family photo again in the fall.

It was good to catch up with her. Meghan and I had worked together at the Washington State Department of Health before I retired in 2008 and although I took her wedding photos last May and we'd had lunch together, that was before she was pregnant! It had been awhile. Her good news is that she and Brandon are about two weeks away from getting a new home south of Olympia. She's on maternity leave now, but keeping busy preparing for the move.

Our conversation turned to the whooping cough epidemic in Washington. Meghan is a communication specialist and often writes articles about health issues in the state, so I shouldn't have been surprised when she asked if I'd had my TDP (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) shot. I hadn't, but you would think that as the past director of the division responsible for licensing and investigating health care professionals in this state, I would have been more attuned to the need for a shot. According to statistics gathered so far this year, pertussis continues to increase in King County and Washington state. As of May 10, a total of 237 cases were reported for King County compared to 98 cases for all of 2011. Statewide, about 1,280 cases have been reported compared to 110 cases in the same period last year. The Washington State Department announced the state could see as many as 3,000 cases by year's end.

I was grateful to Meghan for reminding me about getting a shot, which I did yesterday. It was a walk-in, painless experience with the nurse at our primary care physician's office. I try to be very conscientious about safety issues in the studio and on location when I'm taking photos - particularly of infants, toddlers, and children. Meghan reminding me that safety also means getting a shot was a bit of a surprise, but one I didn't take lightly. I joked that I should have known I'd be getting advice from her. She kept me on track when we worked together. Why would it be any different now!

So a word to others, particularly if you're a care giver of infants or someone coming into contact with babies. Get your shot now. It doesn't hurt and it will certainly help protect our little ones. www.BonnieKingPhotography.com