ATTENTION ADULTS - WE NEED VACCINES TOO!!
We all need vaccines to help protect you from a serious disease. It is important to know which shots you need and when to get them. In honor of National Immunizztions Months, I will briefly discuss the 7 most common that you need.
Shingles - The same virus that causes chickenpox causes shingles. After a childhood chickenpox infection, the virus is dormant and can reactivate. People over 50 should get the shingles vaccine. People looking to receive the shingles vaccine now have two options
Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis (Tdap) - Tdap is a combination vaccine that protects against three potentially life-threatening bacterial diseases: tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough). Adults require boosters every 10 years.
Pneumococcal Vaccines - If you are over the age of 65, you should receive the 2 vaccines that prevent you from developing the two types of bacterial pneumonia
HPV vaccine - This vaccine is an extremely common sexually transmitted infection. Receiving this vaccine can effectively stop the development of any cancers before they even start
MMR booster - If you received your measles, mumps, and rubella shot between 1963 and 1968, talk to your doctor about getting a booster shot for more protection. Children who received the dose from 1968 to 1989 only received one of the recommended 2 doses of MMR.
Flu Shot - You should receive a flu shot annually. There is not a vaccine that covers all influenzas However, your symptoms are normally less severe if you develop the flu without the vaccine.
Everyone age 6 months and older needs to get a flu vaccine every year. Other types of shots work best at specific ages or life stages.
If you have a child age 6 or younger, learn which shots your child needs.
Use this chart for adults to see if you are up to date on your shots [PDF – 145 KB].
If you’re pregnant, check out this recommended immunization schedule [PDF – 255 KB].
Talk to your doctor or nurse to make sure that everyone in your family gets the shots they need. To learn more, visit www.hughesadvocacy.com