March 2012
YOUR MONTHLY GUIDE TO HEALTH CARE AWARENESS
Doctor’s
Bag
Adults Need Immunizations Too
Information from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC)
Immunizations are NOT just
for kids! Whether you are a
young adult, middle-aged
adult or senior citizen, we all
need immunizations to keep
us healthy.
Do You Need Any
Vaccines?
Immunizations you need as
an adult are determined by
factors such as your age,
lifestyle, high-risk conditions,
type and locations of travel, and previous
immunizations. Throughout your adult life, you
need immunizations to protect you from the
following conditions:
• Seasonal influenza (flu) – In general, anyone
six months of age or older can benefit from the
protection of a flu vaccination.
• Tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (whooping
cough) – One booster dose for adults through
age 64 and for adults age 65 and older who will
have close contact with infants and have not
previously received the vaccine.
• Shingles – For adults age 60 and older.
• Pneumococcal disease – For adults age 65 and
older and adults with specific health conditions.
• Human papillomavirus (HPV) – For women age
26 and younger.
Other vaccinations you may need include those
that protect against hepatitis A, hepatitus B,
chickenpox (varicella), and measles, mumps and
rubella.
The CDC has a helpful website that includes
videos and links to information specific to
individual immunization types. Visit http://www.
cdc.gov/Features/adultimmunizations/ to learn
more.
DidUKnow?
Travel-Related Vaccinations
The CDC divides vaccines for
travel into three categories: routine,
recommended, and required. Your
doctor will tell you which ones you
should have.
Routine Vaccinations
Be sure that you and your family
are up-to-date on your routine
vaccinations. These vaccines can
protect you from diseases that are
common in many parts of the world
even though they rarely occur in the
United States.
Recommended Vaccinations
Some vaccines are recommended
to protect travelers from illnesses
present in other parts of the world
and to prevent the importation
of infectious diseases across
international borders. Which
vaccinations you need depends on
a number of factors including your
destination, whether you will be
spending time in rural areas, the
season of the year you are traveling,
your age, health status, and previous
immunizations. Use the CDC’s
“destinations page” – http://wwwnc.
cdc.gov/travel/destinations/list.htm –
to look up the country or countries in
which you will be traveling.
Required Vaccinations
The only vaccine required by
International Health Regulations is
yellow fever vaccination for travel
to certain countries in sub-Saharan
Africa and tropical South America.
Meningococcal vaccination is required
by the government of Saudi Arabia for
annual travel during the Hajj.
Information Sources:
CDC, “Adults Need Immunizations, Too,”
Updated August 15, 2011, www.cdc.gov/
Features/adultimmunizations/
CDC, “Travelers’ Health – Destinations”,
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/
list.htm
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Are You an Advocate
for Your Family?
Many adults do not realize
they need immunizations.
It’s important for families
to support the good health
of their family members
as well as others in their
communities. Here’s an
excerpt from the CDC Adult
Immunization website:
Our need for immunizations
does not end when we
reach adulthood. In fact,
the need for immunizations
remains just as strong as
when we were vulnerable
children. As adults, we must
continue to maintain our own
health because we are also
affecting the health of our
families by teaching them
how to care for themselves.
Encourage other adults
in your family to check
with their doctors for
immunizations they may
need to protect against
vaccine-preventable
diseases. Childhood
vaccinations will not protect
you for the rest of your life.!
Be the Example! Remind
family, friends, co-workers
and others in your community
to get vaccinated each year
against seasonal influenza.
If they are up-to-date on
all their vaccinations, they
protect themselves and those
around them.