When I was a kid, my mom used to take me out for a treat following a trip to the pediatrician to get a shot. I thought those days of sore arms and ice cream cones were pretty much behind me, but as it turns out, I'm not done getting poked in the arm (although the treat is optional now) -- and neither are you.
According to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are a few important vaccines that adults need -- and aren't getting. Kind of scary, considering the CDC estimates that 45,000 Americans die ever year from vaccine-preventable diseases.
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Abigail Shefer, MD, FACP, is a medical epidemiologist and Associate Director for Science in the Immunization Services Division (ISD) of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD) at the CDC. (Try saying that five times fast!). Shefer told HealthySELF that the main vaccinations all adults need are:
- Influenza -- aka, the "flu shot." Shefer says everyone should get this annually.
- Tetanus, diphtheria and acellus pertussis, or Tdap. You should have had one of these when you were about 11 or 12 years old, but you need another one every 10 years. According to Shefer, every adult should have at least one dose -- it's not dangerous to "double up," so even if you've had a dose recently but forgot, it's better safe than sorry. Pertussis is also known as whooping cough, and while it's usually not lethal for adults, it can be deadly if you pass it on to a baby. "We figured out that a lot of childhood diseases, like whooping cough, are transmitted by adults to children" says Shefer. (The above photo is NASCAR superstar Jeff Gordon's wife, Ingrid Vandebosch, getting the vaccine shortly after the birth of their sun, Leo Benjamin.)
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- Varicella. This vaccine prevents chicken pox in children and shingles in adults, and is recommended for everyone over 60. And don't think having had the chicken pox as a kid protects you -- Shefer says the virus remains dormant in your nervous system, possibly erupting as shingles later in life.
- Human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV guards against 70 percent of cervical cancers, and is recommended for females up to age 26 and now also for males up to age 21. If you're over 26 and concerned, talk to your doctor.
- Pneumococcal vaccine (pneumonia). This is recommended for all adults over 60 and/or if you're in a high-risk group, such as having diabetes.
According to the CDC's report, published in the Feb. 3 issue of the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, rates of coverage for Tdap, HPV and varicella increased slightly in 2010, but it's still much lower than the CDC would like.
"Adults don't really think about immunizations," says Shefer. "Doctors just aren't thinking of it, except in terms of pregnancy or travel. So it's good for the public to be educated so they can advocate for themselves."
The best thing you can do, says Shefer, is talk to your doctor, because the vaccines you need are determined by your health, age, occupation, travel plans and previous vaccinations. For example, if you're not sure whether you had the MMR as a child (measles, mumps and rubella), Shefer says your antibodies can be checked. You also might want to ask about a hepatitis B injection, especially if you live with someone who's already infected, you're not sexually monogamous or you work in an environment that exposes you to blood or bodily fluids.
"There a lot of variables," Shefer says, "so it's necessary to discuss what's best for you with your doctor."
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