August is recognized as National Immunization Awareness month. We tend to think of vaccinating our children but pay little attention to the fact that this very issue involves individuals of all ages.
Thanks to our conscientious pediatricians, babies and young children are well covered when it comes to completion of vaccines for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), hepatitis A, varicella (chicken pox), polio, and more. One of the interesting reminders I relate to is that immunization can be compared with a set of steps, such as those in your home. A young child cannot “step up” or advance to enter school without proper immunization. He or she may slide briefly, but cannot advance to middle school or high school without having been properly immunized. To the best of my knowledge, every college application has a section on immunization and, you guessed it, mandates for such things as the hepatitis B series as a firm requirement for admission.
Once out of school and into the busy schedule of earning a living, raising a family and coping with what life sends our way, we easily forget that we never outgrow our need for immunization which is, to a degree, determined by our age, medical history, international travel plans, and high-risk employment conditions such as being in the health care field or perhaps even working in third-world countries. For example, some individuals might not have had a Tdap vaccine for tetanus and whooping cough; they might be 60 or older and a shingles vaccine would be recommended. Those 65 and older might remain healthy if they receive a pneumococcal injection, one for measles, mumps and rubella, chickenpox, or meningitis. A tetanus injection is good for 10 years and because we cannot predict when we will next step on a rusty nail or get a nasty open wound, we need to remember when we are due for a booster. And, because the strain changes, the recommendation is to receive annual influenza immunization.
Recommended guidelines for adults are as follows:
Influenza every year.
Tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis single dose, with a booster every 10 years.
MMR once or twice between the ages of 19 and 55. Consult with your physician regarding possible
additional protection.
Shingles (zoster) once upon turning 60.
Chickenpox (varicella) two doses following the age of 19 and beyond.
Pneumonia one or two doses between the ages of 19 and 65 and one dose following 65.
HPV for women three doses between the ages of 19 and 26.
HPV for men three doses between the ages of 19 and 21; additional doses for individuals at high risk.
Many diseases can be prevented through the simple process of immunization. For example, once a person has chickenpox (most commonly as a child) the virus remains dormant or inactive in the body. It can reactivate many years later and cause debilitating side effects. Tetanus, otherwise known as lockjaw, is a bacteria found in soil. It can enter the body through a deep cut or break in the skin. Complete recovery can virtually take months. Untreated, 25% of those infected will die, whereas with treatment this number drops to less than 10%. These statistics can be eradicated by immunization once every ten years – likely the best bang for your buck known. Pneumonia is a lung infection that can manifest in the ear and sinuses or as meningitis. There are instances of extended issues from pneumonia to include brain damage and loss of hearing.
As adults, we must maintain our good health and the need for immunization is strong. We will remain healthy and have the power to cut down on trips to the doctor, reduce the spread of disease and even eradicate some diseases altogether.
