Tens of thousands of adults die and hundreds of thousands more are hospitalized every year due to vaccine-preventable diseases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the cost to society is around $10 billion dollars annually. As you age, you become more susceptible to serious and often life-threatening diseases. Unfortunately, many adults do not know that they need immunization or that effective vaccines are available.
Most adults should have the following immunizations:
- Influenza Vaccine (annually)
- Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertusis
- Human Papillomavirus Vaccine
- Varicella Vaccine
- Shingles Vaccine
- Pneumococcal Vaccine
- Meningococcal Vaccine
- Hepatitis A and B Vaccines
Vaccinations for adults are based on a variety of factors including age, overall health status, personal medical history, job and travel. Many of the newer vaccines were not available when today’s adults were children. In such cases, our primary care physician can best advise patients on an individual basis. Some adults falsely assume that vaccines received in childhood provide a lifetime of protection, which may not be true.