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Slideshow: Adult Vaccines: Protect
Yourself Against Tetanus and More
1/13
Get a Flu Shot While You Shop
The CDC and flu experts
recommend that just about everyone get a flu vaccination every year. Why? Each
year's vaccine is based on the three or four strains of influenza virus that
are expected to be widespread that season. Short on time? No problem. Flu shots
are available at supermarkets, pharmacies, schools, and churches, as well as
doctors' offices. And you can get one anytime during flu season. How easy is
that?
1/13
Tetanus Vaccine: Not Just for Kids
The bacteria that cause
tetanus enter the body through wounds or cuts. Tetanus can lead to severe
muscle spasms, stiffness, and lockjaw -- the inability to open your mouth or
swallow. A one-time Tdap (tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis) vaccine and a Td (tetanus-diphtheria)
booster every 10 years are all it takes to prevent it.
1/13
Stay Ahead of Chickenpox
If you've avoided
chickenpox (varicella) so far, don't push your luck. You can still get it by
being in a room with someone who has it. Adults with chickenpox have a higher
risk of complications, hospitalization, and death. For example, varicella
pneumonia may be more severe in pregnant women and is a medical emergency.
Untreated, almost half of pregnant women with varicella pneumonia die. Since
chickenpox puts you at risk for shingles, chickenpox vaccine may offer some
protection against shingles, too. It also reduces risk of infection in the
community, especially among those who are susceptible but can't be vaccinated,
such as pregnant women. Two doses of the vaccine are administered four to eight
weeks apart to people 13 and older.
1/13
Shingles Vaccine: Important After 60
The virus that gave you
chickenpox as a child can strike again as shingles or "herpes zoster"
when you're an adult. Most common after age 60, the painful, blistering
shingles rash can damage your eyes and cause long-term pain called postherpetic
neuralgia. If you get this rash, you can also infect others with chickenpox. If
you're 60 or older, a one-dose vaccine is recommended to prevent shingles.
1/13
HPV Vaccine for Some Men and Women
HPV vaccines protect
against some strains of human papillomavirus that cause most cervical cancers
in women and some throat cancers in men. One of the available HPV vaccines also
protects against most genital warts in men and women. HPV is spread by sexual
contact. The vaccine can be given to children as early as age 9, but young
adults, especially those who have not had sexual activity, can receive the
vaccine, too. It's available for men and women through age 26.
1/13
Protect Against Meningitis
Young adults who live in
military barracks or college dorms, travelers to certain areas, and some people
with weakened immune systems are among those who should be vaccinated against
meningococcal disease, a leading cause of bacterial meningitis. Each year in
the United States, about 1 in 10 people who get meningococcal disease die. Many
others suffer brain damage or hearing loss. Ask your doctor about your risk.
1/13
Don't Flirt With Hepatitis
You can get one of the
hepatitis viruses without knowing it. Risk factors for hepatitis A transmission
include consuming contaminated food or water or men having sex with other men.
An infected person can also spread it by not washing his hands after going to
the bathroom. Hepatitis B can spread by contact with blood or body fluids of an
infected person, such as during unprotected sex or use of others' personal
items, such as razors. Sharing needles with an infected person when injecting
drugs can also spread hep B. Hepatitis, especially hepatitis B, can lead to
serious liver damage and even death. Ask your doctor if you should get a
hepatitis A or B vaccine.
1/13
Vaccines for Foreign Travel
Travel vaccines aren't
just a good idea. Some are required to enter certain countries. Keep current on
your routine vaccinations. The CDC also recommends or requires other
vaccinations depending on your destination. Plan on getting them 4 to 6 weeks
before you leave. See the doctor even if your trip is closer than 4 weeks away.
You may still benefit from vaccines or medication. Your doctor can tell you
which vaccines can help you stay healthy.
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Pneumococcus: Protect Yourself
An adult pneumonia
vaccine protects against almost all pneumococcal bacteria that can cause
pneumonia, bloodstream infections, and meningitis. Pneumococcal pneumonia can
be severe and deadly, killing about 50,000 adults every year. It can also cause
bacterial meningitis. It's recommended if you're over 65, or if you're 2-64 and
smoke or have asthma, a chronic illness, or a weakened immune system. Your
doctor may recommend this vaccine if you're over 50 and live in an area with an
increased risk of pneumococcal disease.
1/13
Measles/Mumps/Rubella: 3 Vaccines in 1
The "Big 3"
childhood diseases -- measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) -- can hit harder when
you're an adult. One MMR vaccine protects against all three. Most
American adults have either had the measles or been vaccinated against it. If
you haven't, you're still at risk for this highly infectious virus. Even worse,
you may be at risk of serious complications such as pneumonia and encephalitis.
1/13
Mumps and Its Complications
Mumps vaccine is
included in MMR. Mumps is contagious and is marked by swollen salivary
glands. In adults, mumps can often have complications like meningitis and
painful swelling of the testicles and ovaries. Anyone born after 1956 should
get the MMR vaccine, unless you have evidence of prior infection of MMR
diseases or medical reasons not to be vaccinated.
1/13
Don't Risk Rubella
Rubella vaccine is also
part of MMR. Spread through the air, rubella is especially serious for pregnant
women. It can cause miscarriage, premature delivery, and congenital rubella
syndrome -- a group of severe birth defects. Most women of childbearing age should
already be vaccinated for MMR. If you are not vaccinated but are thinking about
getting pregnant, wait until 4 weeks after vaccination before getting pregnant.
If you're already pregnant and not vaccinated against rubella, get the vaccine
after you have given birth.
This tool does not provide medical advice.
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