Adult Immunization: Are You Up-to-Date on Your Recommended Vaccines?
You leave lots of things behind in childhood when you become an adult. But did you know that vaccines aren’t just for kids? That’s right. Many adults are hospitalized every year due to contracting diseases that they could have easily avoided with proper immunization.
The widespread practice of childhood vaccination has reduced the spread of deadly diseases such as polio and smallpox, but not everyone receives all the necessary vaccines when they’re young. And your immunity to certain diseases can fade over time.
In addition, your risk for developing complications from viruses such as the flu increases as you age.
Because of all this, our team at Broadway Family Clinic, led by Kashif Siddiqui, MD, and Sumera Muzaffar, MD, wants you to be aware of which immunizations you need for your well-being.
What vaccines should you get?
The vaccines you need are based specifically on your health needs. But experts recommend that you stay up to date on all of these immunizations:
Influenza
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends getting the flu vaccine annually to prevent the flu and the complications that can come with it. This vaccine is especially important for those who are pregnant, over the age of 65, or have a health condition such as asthma.
COVID-19
This vaccine can keep you from getting seriously ill or dying from the COVID-19 virus.
Human papillomavirus (HPV)
This disease spreads through sexual contact and can lead to genital warts and different kinds of cancer.
Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (Tdap)
We recommend that you get this vaccine every 10 years and/or when you’re pregnant to protect against lockjaw (tetanus), whooping cough (pertussis), and diphtheria, which causes breathing problems.
Shingles
You need this vaccine after age 50 to prevent this condition, which causes a very painful rash.
Hepatitis B
This condition affects the liver, and you need to be vaccinated if you haven’t been yet and are aged 19-59.
Pneumococcal vaccine
If you’re over the age of 65, you smoke, or you have certain medical conditions, we recommend that you receive a pneumococcal vaccine to protect yourself from diseases such as pneumonia.
The vaccines that you actually end up needing vary greatly depending on your age, medical history, and current immunity.
Gather previous immunization records by talking to any caregivers and health providers that you received care from in the past. If that’s not an option for you, we can run blood tests to check your immunity.
Next steps
If you suspect that your adult immunizations aren’t current, don’t wait to get those updated. Come in and see our expert team to determine what vaccines best fit your health needs and medical history.
To schedule an appointment with us, give our office in Pearland, Texas, a call at 346-857-0603 or use our online booking tool today.