Adult Immunizations

A vaccine is a substance, usually a dead version of a virus or bacteria, that aids the immune system in recognizing a pathogen in your body. It is a common misconception that immunizations and vaccines are only important for infants and children. It is extremely important for adults to get immunizations and vaccines, too!  Since the development and advancement of vaccinations and immunizations, there has been a 95-100% decrease in morbidity levels between 1900 and 1998 in children. However, the current level of adults getting vaccines of their own is unacceptably low.  

Getting vaccinated can potentially save you a lot of unnecessary time and money. Once infected with some of these serious diseases, it could be dangerous to you and your loved ones. Depending on the severity, you may have to call in sick to work or rack up expensive hospital bills. When you and those around you are vaccinated against diseases, the likelihood of you getting sick decreases dramatically. 

When you get a vaccine, usually you are getting a dead or very small dosage of the microbe that is causing the disease -- too small to cause any harm or cause you to become ill.  This way, your body's antibodies can build up a tolerance to the disease, so if/when the pathogen enters the body, your immune system can recognize it and fight it off quickly, before you even get sick.  In the cases of most childhood vaccines, the vaccine will last throughout your entire life.  However, sometimes these viruses and bacteria can change shape, as in the case of influenza, so the body will no longer recognize it.  This is why it is extremely important to get a flu vaccine every flu season!

Whooping Cough (Pertussis) is an extremely important vaccine that is recommended for people of all ages. In one study, it was found that four out of five babies that contract whooping cough actually contracted it from a family member or baby sitter when traced. Some other types of vaccines, such as the Human Papillomavirus vaccine, is only appropriate for adults, as most viruses of this disease are sexually transmitted. 

Depending on your age, some of the vaccinations that were developed to be given to children might not have been available when you were a child. For example, if you were born before 1957, chances are you never received a measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine as a child. It is extremely important that you get one as an adult.  The older you are, the slower your immune system reacts.  This means that it takes longer for an older adult to heal or kill the disease than it does for a child or young adult.

 Some viruses only affect people of certain genders, ages, or health status, so it is not necessary for every adult to get these immunizations. Some vaccines also need to be followed up, somewhat like the flu vaccine, but every 5-10 years instead of annually.  The CDC publishes a helpful chart of recommendations, updated annually by the Advisory Committee on Immune Practices. You can also take this simple quiz to see what is recommended for you! Print off the results, and bring them to Adair County Health Department to find out more information about which vaccines are appropriate for you!

While everything in life can carry some risks, vaccines are a very safe way to protect yourself against disease. They can sometimes carry short-term side effects, but most are not life-threatening and only result in mild discomfort. More serious side effects, like allergic reactions, are extremely rare. The CDC and FDA both closely monitor all signs of reactions in people that get vaccines to make sure they are safe. The Clinical Immunization Safety Assessment (CISA) does research to track all adverse symptoms experienced after vaccines, and they make sure that these are just rare instances.  

It is important for you to talk to your doctor before receiving any vaccines to make sure they are right for your lifestyle and current health status.  Once you are vaccinated for any disease, your risk of contracting that disease goes down exponentially. Getting vaccinated is a very important step in taking control of your own life, as well as the lives of your friends and families.

References:

Adult Vaccines: A Grown Up Thing To Do. American Academy of Microbiology.

academy.asm.org/images/stories/documents/FAQ_Adult_Vaccination.pdf>

Basely, David. More adults need vaccines, and not just for flu: Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention. Reuters. January 29, 2013.

usa-health-vaccine-idUSBRE90S10L20130129>

Human Papillomavirus. National Network for Immunization Information. January 4, 2012.

Immunizations - Adult Immunizations. WebMD. November 10, 2011.

children.webmd.com/vaccines/tc/immunizations-adult-immunizations?print=true>