The Top 5 Adult Vaccinations
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Dr. Ranit Mishori, Georgetown University Hospital resident, recently
published an article about the top 5 adult vaccines eligible Americans
should get. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
recently released survey results indicating that only 2% of Americans
under 64 have received adult vaccines against tetanus, diphtheria and
pertussis. The new shingles vaccine has also been virtually ignored by
American adults. In spite of an aggressive public awareness campaign,
only 10% of eligible women have received vaccines against HPV, a
cervical cancer-causing virus.
Vaccinations are one of the simplest and cost-effective methods to
maintain an optimum level of health and wellness. All adults should look
into receiving the following vaccination shots:
The Shingles Vaccine
Herpes zoster, popularly known as shingles, is a disease affecting
adults over 60 who have had chicken pox. Reactivating in later life,
shingles’ signature rash can be extremely painful; even after the rash
fades away, residual intense pain can linger for months. The Shingles
vaccine could eliminate about 280,000 shingles cases every year.
Pneumonia Vaccine
Twenty-three strains of bacterial pneumonia cause over 40,000 U.S.
deaths each year. The pneumo-coccal polysaccharide (PPV) vaccine
protects against these and some additional bacterial blood infections.
The PPV vaccine is a one-time shot for all adults over 65 or younger
people with lowered immunity.
Tetanus Booster
A simple case of tetanus can advance to “lockjaw” or muscle paralysis,
which can result in death. Booster shots are needed every 10 years, not
just when there is an infection threat from an open puncture wound. A
“cocktail” vaccine, Tdap, consisting of a tetanus booster, diphtheria and
whooping cough vaccines was introduced in 2005. (Although whooping
cough is typically a childhood affliction and part of the childhood
immunization schedule, the inevitable weakening of childhood-
administered vaccines resulted in a recent surge of adult cases.
Additionally, adults caring for young children are the number one source
of whooping cough infection; a Tdap vaccination would eliminate that
risk.)
HPV Vaccine
The human papillomarvirusis (HPV) can cause genital warts and cervical
cancer.(70% of U.S. cervical cancer cases are linked to HPV.) A three-
shot series administered to young women up to the age of 26 can
prevent HPV. (Studies are currently underway to determine the HPV
vaccine’s effectiveness in women older than 26 and males.)
Flu Shot
The influenza vaccine, or Flu Shot, is the poster child of adult vaccines.
Almost 60% of American adults already receive annual flu shots. An
annual shot is necessary because the influenza virus continually
changes; the annual shots are developed in anticipation of which strain
constructs will be in the vanguard during a particular flu season. For
instance, the 2007 flu vaccine was developed to combat 3 different
influenza strains – it turned out that only one was effective. The process
of predicting the coming virus strains is refined and improved each
year. The flu shot is not always 100% effective but generally do a very
good job at preventing serious infections.
For more information on adult vaccines and the diseases they’re
intended to prevent, visit the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention at www.cdc.gov.
published an article about the top 5 adult vaccines eligible Americans
should get. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
recently released survey results indicating that only 2% of Americans
under 64 have received adult vaccines against tetanus, diphtheria and
pertussis. The new shingles vaccine has also been virtually ignored by
American adults. In spite of an aggressive public awareness campaign,
only 10% of eligible women have received vaccines against HPV, a
cervical cancer-causing virus.
Vaccinations are one of the simplest and cost-effective methods to
maintain an optimum level of health and wellness. All adults should look
into receiving the following vaccination shots:
The Shingles Vaccine
Herpes zoster, popularly known as shingles, is a disease affecting
adults over 60 who have had chicken pox. Reactivating in later life,
shingles’ signature rash can be extremely painful; even after the rash
fades away, residual intense pain can linger for months. The Shingles
vaccine could eliminate about 280,000 shingles cases every year.
Pneumonia Vaccine
Twenty-three strains of bacterial pneumonia cause over 40,000 U.S.
deaths each year. The pneumo-coccal polysaccharide (PPV) vaccine
protects against these and some additional bacterial blood infections.
The PPV vaccine is a one-time shot for all adults over 65 or younger
people with lowered immunity.
Tetanus Booster
A simple case of tetanus can advance to “lockjaw” or muscle paralysis,
which can result in death. Booster shots are needed every 10 years, not
just when there is an infection threat from an open puncture wound. A
“cocktail” vaccine, Tdap, consisting of a tetanus booster, diphtheria and
whooping cough vaccines was introduced in 2005. (Although whooping
cough is typically a childhood affliction and part of the childhood
immunization schedule, the inevitable weakening of childhood-
administered vaccines resulted in a recent surge of adult cases.
Additionally, adults caring for young children are the number one source
of whooping cough infection; a Tdap vaccination would eliminate that
risk.)
HPV Vaccine
The human papillomarvirusis (HPV) can cause genital warts and cervical
cancer.(70% of U.S. cervical cancer cases are linked to HPV.) A three-
shot series administered to young women up to the age of 26 can
prevent HPV. (Studies are currently underway to determine the HPV
vaccine’s effectiveness in women older than 26 and males.)
Flu Shot
The influenza vaccine, or Flu Shot, is the poster child of adult vaccines.
Almost 60% of American adults already receive annual flu shots. An
annual shot is necessary because the influenza virus continually
changes; the annual shots are developed in anticipation of which strain
constructs will be in the vanguard during a particular flu season. For
instance, the 2007 flu vaccine was developed to combat 3 different
influenza strains – it turned out that only one was effective. The process
of predicting the coming virus strains is refined and improved each
year. The flu shot is not always 100% effective but generally do a very
good job at preventing serious infections.
For more information on adult vaccines and the diseases they’re
intended to prevent, visit the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention at www.cdc.gov.
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