You never miss your regular check-up - but did you get your shots? Even many health-conscious women overlook adult immunization as a crucial component of their well-being. Haven't thought about measles in years? Don't know when your last tetanus shot was? Learn which vaccines and when can help you stay well for life…
Ask five of your friends if they’re up to date on their immunizations, and the response you’ll most likely hear is: “Adults need vaccines?”
Yes – and the sooner the better, experts say.
“Adult women generally haven’t gotten all the recommended vaccines,” notes Deborah L. Wexler, M.D., executive director of the Immunization Action Coalition, a nonprofit advocacy organization in St. Paul, Minnesota.
That's because “doctors they see regularly often are the kids’ pediatricians and their ob-gyn, specialists who generally don't administer adult vaccinations, she says.
Plus, many adults assume they’re already immunized against certain illnesses because they were vaccinated regularly as children.
Trouble is, some vaccinations wear off – unlike the immunity you attain from having an actual disease, which usually lasts a lifetime. (That includes colds and the flu – the reason you can keep catching them is that the viruses constantly mutate.)
Vaccines work by introducing a weak form of a disease into your body. Your immune system responds by making antibodies designed to stamp out the infecting microbe if you’re exposed to the real thing. That way, you don’t have to suffer from the disease itself – or its potentially deadly complications.
Side effects are minor or temporary, such as a sore arm or fever, and can be easily managed with a pain reliever, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
More serious complications, such as convulsions or allergic reactions, are extremely rare, ranging from one dose per several thousand to one dose per several million, depending on the vaccine, the CDC says.
Death from a vaccination is so unusual the agency can’t even assess the risk statistically.
Though some gynecologists offer adult immunization at annual well-woman visits, you’ll probably have to visit a primary care physician to get your shots.
If you don’t have a regular doctor, ask your ob-gyn for a referral to a clinic that offers vaccines.
Here are vaccines the CDC recommends for women ages 19 and older. Your doctor can help you decide which ones fit your personal health needs.
Tdap Vaccine: Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis
Why you need this adult vaccination: It protects you from tetanus (once called “lockjaw” and usually caused by bacteria entering a puncture wound) and diphtheria (a nasty respiratory infection unheard of in the U.S. today, thanks to this very successful vaccine).
Due to recent outbreaks of pertussis (also known as whooping cough), protection against the virus was added to this vaccine in 2005.
Symptoms you’ll avoid: With tetanus, you get fever, muscle stiffness, difficulty swallowing and body spasms.
Diphtheria causes a nasty respiratory infection that produces a thick coating on the throat.
Pertussis brings on a cough that sounds like a “whoop” and can last up to three months.
Who should get it: Everyone needs Tdap, but especially those who have close contact with an infant (who would be more likely to die from pertussis infection than older children or adults).
How often: A single dose of Tdap is followed by a booster every 10 years.
Hepatitis B Vaccine
Why you need this adult vaccination: This severe liver disease is transmitted through contact with an infected person’s bodily fluids, such as blood and semen. In 2008 – the most recent year for which statistics are available – the CDC reported 38,000 new infections in the U.S.
Symptoms you’ll avoid: Yellowing of skin and eyes, fatigue, stomach distress, joint pain, liver cancer, liver failure, even death.
Who should get it: High-risk adults, including homosexual males, health-care workers, drug users, prisoners, or men and women who have had more than one sexual partner in the last six months.
How often: There are three shots total – an initial vaccine, one shot a month later, and another four months after that.
Hepatitis A Vaccine
Why you need this adult vaccination: The hepatitis A virus is usually spread by what’s called the fecal-oral route: when stool of an infected person comes into contact with another’s mouth, including in food and water.
For example, if a food handler doesn't wash their hands after going to the bathroom.
Symptoms you’ll avoid: Jaundice, fatigue, abdominal pain, appetite loss, nausea, diarrhea and fever, among others.
Who should get it: Once thought of as a vaccine for people who traveled to places with higher infection rates, including Central and South America, the hepatitis A inoculation is now given to anyone who wants to be immunized against the virus.
“If you eat in restaurants, you’re at risk for hepatitis A,” Wexler says. According to the CDC, 33% of Americans have been infected with the virus.
How often: The initial vaccine is followed by one more inoculation six months later.
If you get the combination hepatitis A/B vaccine, you’ll need an initial shot followed by two more at one and six months.
Pneumococcal (PPSV) vaccine
Why you need this adult vaccination: Pneumococcal disease can result in long-term problems like brain damage, hearing loss, limb loss or death. This vaccine is very good at preventing severe cases and hospitalization, but it’s not guaranteed to prevent infection and symptoms in all people.
Symptoms you’ll avoid: There are different types of pneumococcal disease, with varying symptoms.
Pneumococcal pneumonia causes fever, cough, shortness of breath and chest pain.
Meningitis symptoms include stiff neck, fever, mental confusion and sensitivity to light.
Bacteremia symptoms are much the same as pneumonia and meningitis, but also include joint pain and chills.
Otitis media (middle-ear infection) causes a painful earache, a red or swollen eardrum, and sometimes sleeplessness, fever and irritability.
Who should get it: All adults 65 years of age and older should get the pneumococcal vaccine, as well as anyone any age who smokes or has a serious or chronic health condition (asthma, heart disease, lung disease, sickle cell disease, diabetes, alcoholism, cirrhosis, Hodgkin’s disease, lymphoma or leukemia, kidney failure, multiple myeloma, nephrotic syndrome, HIV or AIDS, or damaged or no spleen).
It’s also recommended for those taking drugs that lower the body’s resistance to infection (such as biologics, steroids or cancer medications).
How often: A one-time shot for people 65 years and older; two shots for those aged 19 through 64 with certain health problems (the second is five years after the first).
Influenza Vaccine
Why you need this adult vaccination: Influenza is a highly infectious respiratory infection that kills 36,000 Americans each year.
Spread easily through coughs and sneezes, it’s also transmitted by touching a contaminated object, then touching your mouth, nose or eyes.
The vaccine is updated every year to protect against new flu strains.
Symptoms you’ll avoid: Flu-related fever, headaches, muscle aches, fatigue, sore throat and cough can last up to two weeks – or lead to pneumonia or exacerbate heart and lung conditions.
Many people mistakenly believe that an annual flu shot provides immunity to stomach ailments, colds and other winter viruses with “flulike” symptoms.
But you can still develop a runny nose, whether you get the vaccine or not.
Who should get it: Everyone age 6 months and older, and especially those at higher risk for flu-related complications (such as those under age 5 or over age 50; pregnant women, health-care or childcare workers, and people with chronic medical conditions).
How often: Once a year in fall or winter.
HPV Vaccine (human papillomavirus)
Why you need this adult vaccination: HPV is actually a group of viruses that includes 100 different strains, 40 of which are sexually transmitted. About 20 million Americans are now infected with HPV, and another 6 million become infected each year, according to the CDC.
Symptoms you’ll avoid: The vaccine targets genital HPV infection, which can cause abnormal Pap tests, genital warts and cancer of the cervix.
“[It] covers the majority of strains that cause warts and cervical cancer,” says Stanley A. Gall, M.D., a professor of obstetric gynecology and women’s health at the University of Louisville School of Medicine in Kentucky, who helped conduct clinical trials for the new HPV vaccine.
Who should get it: When the first HPV vaccine was approved in 2006, it was recommended only for women aged 26 and younger. Why?
“Because that’s who the vaccine was studied on,” Gall explains. “I anticipate that the age will be raised to 45, possibly 55, sometime soon.”
In the meantime, ask your gynecologist for the vaccine if you’re sexually active and want HPV protection.
“A fair amount of women are getting this vaccine off-label from their gynecologists,” Gall says. “I’ve administered quite a few of these for women over 26.”
Boys and men, too, may choose to get this vaccine to prevent genital warts.
How often: For both females and males, three shots are needed – an initial shot followed by a second one 1-2 months later, and the third dose six months after the first.
MMR vaccine: Measles, Mumps, Rubella
Why you need this adult vaccination: Measles is still a common disease in many parts of the world – including the U.S. and Europe – and outbreaks are common. It's spread by breathing in the virus, when an infected person sneezes, coughs or speaks.
It can be dangerous for adults – causing pneumonia, severe diarrhea and brain inflammation, among other health problems – and fatal for small children. Rubella (also called German measles) can cause miscarriage in pregnant women or serious birth defects in their fetuses.
Symptoms you’ll avoid: Measles produces a rash, fever, and swollen eyelids. Mumps triggers fever, headache and swelling of the testicles or ovaries. Rubella causes rash, mild fever and arthritis (mostly in women).
Who should get it: Adults born before 1957 generally are considered immune to measles and mumps. All adults born in 1957 or later should have documentation of having had the MMR vaccine or laboratory evidence of immunity to each of the three diseases.
If you’re uncertain whether you’ve had or been vaccinated for any of these diseases, ask your doctor for a blood test to determine if you need an adult immunization.
How often: One shot after age 50. If you’re 19-49 years old, you’ll need one shot and possibly another one 28 days later.
Varicella vaccine (chicken pox)
Why you need this adult vaccination: About 8-9 of every 10 people who are vaccinated are completely immunized against chicken pox. If a vaccinated person does get the disease, it’s usually a very mild case.
Symptoms you’ll avoid: A typical case of chicken pox includes fever, headache and an itchy rash resembling insect bites.
Who should get it: All adults without evidence of immunity. If you’re uncertain about whether you’ve had chicken pox or been vaccinated for it, ask your doctor for a blood test to determine your immunity.
How often: Two shots – an initial vaccination with a second shot 4-8 weeks later.
Zoster vaccine (shingles)
Why you need this adult vaccination: If you’ve had chicken pox, you can develop shingles, a reactivation of the varicella zoster virus. Shingles occurs most commonly in people 50 years or older and those with medical conditions that keep the immune system from working properly or who take immunosuppressive drugs.
Symptoms you’ll avoid: Shingles causes an extremely painful skin rash with blistering.
Who should get it: The CDC recommends that anyone 60 or older should get the shingles vaccine, regardless of whether they recall having had chicken pox. (Almost all Americans over age 40 have had it, the CDC says.)
The Zoster vaccine is recommended for those 60 and older because its safety and effectiveness were studied in this age group. But this doesn’t mean you should wait till you’re 60. Ask your doctor whether you should get this vaccine.
How often: One shot.
Adapted from an article originally published in Viv magazine.
Women’s Health: How Much Do You Know?
As a woman, your health concerns are as unique as your body. How you take care of yourself has a huge impact on your future, affecting everything from your ability to have children to your risk of heart disease. There's no substitute for good health, and when it's gone, it's often gone for good. Don't let it pass you by.
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