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National Immunization Awareness Month: Adults Need Vaccines, Too

Posted by Scott Harrah
August 17, 2015

ADULTS, GET VACCINATED: From flu to Tdap & others, adults need vaccines to protect themselves from preventable diseases. Photo: Courtesy of NPHICNational Immunization Awareness Month continues throughout August, reminding us that we all need vaccines throughout our lives.

This is the third installment in a month-long series in the UMHS Endeavour about immunization for people at various stages in life. This week, we focus on immunization for adults because vaccines aren't just for kids. The UMHS Endeavour is publishing this guest post from the National Public Health Information Coalition (NPHIC) to inform the public and students at American and Caribbean medical schools why all adults must get vaccinated to protect themselves from everything from flu to hepatitis.

(Photo, inset right) ADULTS, GET VACCINATED: From flu to Tdap & others, adults need vaccines to protect themselves from preventable diseases. Photo: Courtesy of NPHIC

Why Adults Need Vaccines, Too

By the National Public Health Information Coalition (NPHIC)

You want to pass on certain things like family traditions, a grandmother’s quilt or dad’s love of books – but no one wants to pass on a serious illness. Take charge of your health and help protect those around you by asking about vaccines at your next doctor’s visit.

Vaccinating our children is commonplace in the United States. But few adults know they need vaccines, and even fewer are fully vaccinated.

In 2013, only 24 percent of adults ages 60 and older had received a shingles vaccine and only 17 percent of adults older than 19 had received a Tdap vaccine.

Are you one of the millions of adults not aware of the vaccines you need?  Each year, tens of thousands of adults needlessly suffer, are hospitalized, and even die as a result of diseases that could be prevented by vaccines. However, a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) survey showed that most U.S. adults are not even aware that they need vaccines throughout their lives to protect against diseases like pertussis, hepatitis, shingles and pneumococcal disease.

Not only can vaccine-preventable diseases make you very sick, but if you get sick, you may risk spreading certain diseases to others. That’s a risk most of us do not want to take. Infants, older adults and people with weakened immune systems (like those undergoing cancer treatment) are especially vulnerable to infectious diseases. They are also more likely to have severe illness and complications if they do get sick. You can help protect your health and the health of your loved ones by getting your recommended vaccines.

The good news is that getting vaccinated is easier than you think. Adults can get vaccines at doctors’ offices, pharmacies, workplaces, health clinics and health departments. Visit vaccine.healthmap.org to help find a vaccine provider near you. Most health insurance plans cover the cost of recommended vaccines – a call to your insurance provider can give you the details.

Vaccines All Adults Need

  • Annual flu vaccine to protect against seasonal flu
  • Td/Tdap to protect against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis

Some additional vaccines you may need (depending on your age, health conditions and other factors) include:

  • Hepatitis A
  • Hepatitis B
  • Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
  • Meningococcal
  • Pneumococcal
  • Shingles (if you had chickenpox as a child)

Traveling overseas? There may be additional vaccines you need depending on the location. Find out at www.cdc.gov/travel

Not sure what vaccines you may need? The CDC offers a short quiz at www.cdc.gov/vaccines/adultquiz  to help you find out which vaccines you might need. You can take the results of your quiz to your provider to discuss which vaccines are right for you.

All adults should get an annual flu vaccine to protect against seasonal flu and Td/Tdap vaccine to protect against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis. You may also need other vaccines based on your age, health conditions, occupation and other factors. If you are planning to travel outside of the U.S., check on any additional vaccines you may need. Some travel-related vaccines are part of a series or are needed months prior to your travel to be most effective, so be sure to plan ahead.

For more information about adult vaccines: www.cdc.gov/vaccines/adults

(Top photo) Image: Courtesy of NPHIC



About UMHS:

Built in the tradition of the best US universities, the University of Medicine and Health Sciences focuses on individual student attention, maintaining small class sizes and recruiting high-quality faculty. We call this unique approach, “personalized medical education,” and it’s what has led to our unprecedented 96% student retention rate, and outstanding residency placements across the US and Canada. UMHS is challenging everything you thought you knew about Caribbean medical schools.

Posted by Scott Harrah

Scott is Director of Digital Content & Alumni Communications Liaison at UMHS and editor of the UMHS Endeavour blog. When he's not writing about UMHS students, faculty, events, public health, alumni and UMHS research, he writes and edits Broadway theater reviews for a website he publishes in New York City, StageZine.com.

Topics: Medicine and Health

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