August 2, 2016

Vaccines Are Not Just for Kids!

National Immunization Awareness Month is a reminder that we all need vaccines throughout our lives. Information cited from the Mass Public Health blog.

All adults should get vaccines to protect their health. Even healthy adults can become seriously ill, and can pass certain illnesses on to others. Unfortunately, far too few adults are receiving the recommended vaccines, leaving themselves and their loved ones vulnerable to serious diseases.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

• Only 20% of adults 19 years or older had received Tdap vaccination. – National Health Interview Survey 2014
• Only 28% of adults 60 years or older had received shingles (herpes zoster) vaccination. – National Health Interview Survey 2014
• Only 20% of adults 19 to 64 years at increased risk had received pneumococcal vaccination. – National Health Interview Survey 2014
• Only about 44% of adults 18 years or older received a flu vaccine during the 2014-2015 flu season. –Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 2014-2015

Why do adults need vaccines?

Vaccines are recommended throughout your life. Even if you were fully vaccinated as a child, you may be at risk for other diseases due to your age, job, lifestyle, travel, or health condition. In addition, the protection from some vaccines can wear off over time. All adults need vaccinations to protect against serious diseases that could result in severe illness requiring medical treatment or even hospitalization, missed work, and not being able to care for your family.

Are vaccine-preventable diseases really a threat for adults?

Every year, thousands of adults in the U.S. suffer serious health problems, are hospitalized, and even die from diseases that could be prevented by vaccines. Many of these diseases are common in the U.S. For example, in 2014, there were about 27,000 cases of invasive pneumococcal disease and 3,200 deaths among adults ages 19 and older. In addition, about 1 million cases of shingles and millions of cases of influenza occur each year in the U.S.

Older adults and adults with chronic health conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart disease and diabetes are at higher risk of suffering complications from certain vaccine-preventable diseases like flu and pneumonia.

What vaccines do adults need?

The vaccines a person needs are based on their age, medical conditions, occupation, vaccines they have received in the past, and other factors. Taking the CDC adult vaccine quiz is one way to find out which vaccines you might need.

Written by Rebecca Vanucci, immunization outreach coordinator in the Bureau of Infectious Disease Department of Public Health.