Thought Leadership in Action

It isn’t only your pet or your child who needs to be current on certain vaccinations – so do you. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends specific vaccinations throughout life to protect against a host of preventable diseases. However, far too many U.S. adults are failing to get even the most routinely recommended immunizations.

According to figures recently released by federal health officials in a CDC report, some vaccination rates for adult Americans have increased slightly over the past few years. But huge numbers of other people aren't taking full advantage of widely available vaccines, including those for pneumonia and hepatitis. Overall, the report revealed that vaccination rates for diseases other than flu are well below target levels. "These data indicate little progress was made in improving adult coverage in the past year and highlight the need for continuing efforts to increase adult vaccination coverage," said the CDC.

Unfortunately, the results of skipping vaccinations can be serious illness and even death. In fact, a survey of U.S. internists and family physicians published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in February of 2014, found that on average more than 30,000 Americans are dying of vaccine-preventable diseases each year and more than 95% of these people are adults.

How can this situation be turned around? Get the facts on adult vaccinations and make sure you and your doctor are protecting your health by keeping your immunizations against preventable diseases up-to-date.

Vaccine Quick Facts

Vaccines – whether for children, adults or animals – reduce the risk of infection the same way. They work with the body's own natural defenses to safely build immunity to specific diseases.

Here’s how: Once pathogens (disease-causing organisms such as bacteria or viruses) enter your body, they can attack and multiply, causing illness. Your immune system fights the infection and, afterward, your body is left with cells created by the immune response which help recognize and fight that disease in the future. Vaccines use weakened versions of pathogens to help your body develop immunity to infectious agents by imitating an infection without actually causing illness. By triggering the immune system to develop the same response it mounts to a real infection, vaccines help your body recognize and fight the vaccine-preventable disease in the future.

Some people skip vaccinations because they are concerned about safety. While it’s true there can be worrisome side effects from vaccinations, they are extremely rare. It is normal to experience minor symptoms from some vaccinations, such as fever, as your body builds immunity. But this is a small annoyance when you consider the advantage of being protected from a serious disease in the future.

All vaccines must be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before being used in the U.S. and only after extensive research shows a vaccine is safe and effective. Before FDA approval, vaccines are tested in clinical trials which compare groups of people who receive a certain vaccination with groups of people who receive a non-active placebo.

Vaccinations You Need

The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has announced its recommended adult immunization schedule for 2017. While specific health conditions and other situations (such as your medical history and plans to travel to areas where certain infections are prevalent) have to be considered on an individual basis, here are the basic CDC guidelines for vaccinations adults need:

• Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib).Despite its name, Hib is not a cause of the flu. Instead, it’s a bacterium that causes meningitis, pneumonia, and upper respiratory infections. The new guidelines now recommend Hib vaccine for adults at risk of Hib who have not been vaccinated before, with the exception of patients with HIV (because their risk for Hib infection is low).
• Seasonal influenza (flu).Annual flu shots are recommended for all adults and, thanks to a breakthrough in the flu vaccine, that includes many people who had to skip these vaccinations in the past due to allergies to eggs. Recombinant influenza and inactivated influenza vaccines now contain no egg protein and can be used in people with a hives-only allergy to eggs.
• Tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (whooping cough).Known as the Tdap vaccine, this shot is recommended for all adults who have not previously received it. While most people received these vaccinations as children, adults should get booster shots every 10 years.
• Shingles.Shingles is caused by the same varicella-zoster virus that causes chickenpox. The virus lies inactive in nerve tissue near your spinal cord and brain and can reactivate as shingles – a painful condition involving a rash and sometimes nerve pain. Vaccination against shingles is now recommended for adults over age 60.
• Pneumococcal disease.Anyone aged 65 or older should get a one-time shot that protects against 23 strains of pneumonia. The immunization is also recommended for younger adults with high-risk conditions for pneumonia, such as those with lung disease.
• Hepatitis B infection.This liver disease results from infection with the hepatitis B virus. It can range in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious, lifelong illness. The vaccine is recommended for those who have diabetes or are at risk for hepatitis B.

Other vaccinations you may need include those that protect against human papillomavirus (HPV) which can cause certain cancers, hepatitis A, meningococcal disease, chickenpox (varicella), measles, mumps and rubella.

If you’re not sure if you’re up to date on your vaccinations or which ones you may need due to your medical history or travel plans, make it a priority to talk with your healthcare provider about vaccinations at your next checkup. Also helpful: the CDC offers a free, online vaccination quiz that allows you to check off your age, gender and other information to find out what vaccines you may need based on your answers (this list may include vaccines you have already had).