Spotlight on Well-Being: Staying Up to Date on Vaccinations
Vaccination Reccommendations are based on a person's age, occupation, travel plans and pre-existing conditions. Are you up to date on your vaccinations?
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that between 3.5 and 5 million deaths are prevented each year by vaccinations for preventable but life-threatening diseases. Receiving recommended immunizations plays a crucial role in protecting one's health throughout a lifetime.
How Vaccines Work
Vaccines work by stimulating your immune system to produce antibodies, like it would if you had an infection. However, unlike bacteria and viruses, vaccines do not actually make you sick. There are two main types of immunity, active and passive:
- "Active" immunity means you have antibodies against a particular germ. This can happen if you have had the infection in the past (this is called "natural immunity") or because you have received a vaccine that stimulated your immune system to produce the antibodies. Most vaccines induce active immunity.
- "Passive" immunity comes from serum immune globulin, which provides temporary immunity with antibodies obtained from a large pool of donors. This approach offers short-term protection to people who have been exposed to a specific germ; it is not routinely recommended for individuals.
Another important term to understand is "herd immunity." This is when enough people are immune to a disease so that it can no longer spread easily between people. To get to herd immunity, enough people need to get vaccinated to protect those who cannot get vaccinated and to lessen transmission.
Side Effects
Often vaccines cause no side effects, but sometimes they do. Experiencing a side effect does not mean that you are sick, just that your immune system is responding to the vaccine. When side effects happen, they can include:
- Redness, mild swelling, or soreness where you got the shot
- Mild fever
- Mild rash
- Headache or body aches
Vaccines can sometimes cause more serious side effects, such as severe allergic reactions, but serious side effects are rare. Ask your doctor or nurse what side effects to expect each time you get a vaccine. If you have a reaction or a problem after a vaccine, let them know.
Vaccination Recommendations For All Adults
There are some vaccines that all adults should get, even if they received their childhood vaccines. These vaccines protect against the following infections:
Vaccination Recommendations For Some Adults
Some adults will need other vaccines, depending on their age, medical conditions, jobs, travel plans, and other factors. These can include vaccines to protect against:
Find out which vaccinations are reccomended for you