Adult Vaccination

Recently Answered

• QWhat are the vaccinations recommended for adults?

  3 Answers

  A

  

  A TriStar Centennial Medical Center answered

  Many people think immunizations are only for small children, but vaccinations are an important part of a healthy life for teenagers and adults as well. Adolescents need to be immunized against tetanus, in addition to pertussis. One of the newer vaccines is Gardasil, which is used to protect young women and children at an early age from human papillomavirus.

  Adults should get a regular tetanus and pertussis booster. Plus, everyone should get the flu vaccine each year. Senior adults should ask their doctor for vaccines that give them increased protection.

  Doctors recommend a pneumonia vaccine for seniors. A newer vaccine for shingles is recommended for any adult who has had varicella (chicken pox) as a child.

  See All 3 Answers
• QWhat questions should I ask my doctor about vaccines?

  1 Answer

  A

  

  A HealthyWomen answered

  The following are questions you may want to ask your doctor about vaccines:

  • What are the possible side effects from this vaccine?
  • What are the potential implications if I don't vaccinate my child?
  • Is there anything I should do before having my child vaccinated to reduce the potential for side effects?
  • If my child misses one or more scheduled vaccines, can she catch up?
  • What vaccines does my teenager need?
  • My preteen daughter is not sexually active. Why does she need the HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine?
  • Can I participate in a clinical trial for a therapeutic vaccine to treat my cancer?
  • I'm worried about my child having several vaccines at one time. What are the advantages and disadvantages to vaccinating children this way?
  • I've heard that the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine could cause autism. What does the research show?
  • Which type of flu vaccine should I have and why?
• QHow does getting vaccinations affect the way I age?

  1 Answer

  A

  

  A Dr. Michael Roizen, MD , Internal Medicine, answered

  Unfortunately keeping your vaccinations current makes a RealAge (physiologic age) difference of just one hundred twenty-six days (if you are an adult involved in a mutually monogamous relationship). Not much, you're thinking. True, and yet those one hundred twenty-six days can be pretty important. That's because this figure is misleading. Many of the diseases for which we have vaccines available, such as diphtheria or measles, rarely afflict adults. However, when they do, the effects can be devastating. Other diseases that are more common, such as the flu and pneumonia, are rarely fatal, so the mortality risk is low. Because RealAge calculations take into consideration both the number of people affected and the mortality risk, the RealAge differential for immunizations is somewhat skewed to a smaller effect, because if everyone gets the vaccinations, the chance of anyone getting this disease is extremely small.