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Adult
Immunization Schedule
Patient Education Handout associated with
UMHS Clinical Care Guideline
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This
information is not a tool for self-diagnosis or a substitute for medical treatment.
You should speak to your health-care provider or make an
appointment to be seen if you have questions or concerns about this information
or your medical condition.
What immunizations do adults need?
Immunizations help protect you from serious, preventable diseases. Keeping
up to date with immunizations helps you stay healthy. As an adult, you need
to be immunized against tetanus and diphtheria. Depending on your age and
health, you may also need protection against influenza (flu), hepatitis,
measles, rubella, chickenpox, or streptococcal (pneumococcal) pneumonia.
The shots do not guarantee that you will not get sick with these illnesses,
but they make it much less likely. They also reduce the risk of severe infection
or death.
When should I get the shots?
The following is the recommended schedule for adult immunizations:
- Tetanus/diphtheria: You should complete a 3-shot series if you did not
get the 3 shots as a child. The second shot is given 4 to 8 weeks after the first
shot. The third shot is given 6 to 12 months later. You need a booster shot
every 10 years. If you have a cut, scrape, bite, puncture wound, or injury
needing stitches, you should get this shot if it has been more than 5 years
since your last shot or if you do not remember when you last had a shot.
- Influenza
(flu): If you are older than 50, you should get a flu shot
in October or November every year. Flu shots are also recommended for younger
people with
chronic diseases and those who want to avoid the flu. When there is a shortage
of flu vaccine, these recommendations for who should get a shot may change,
based on the severity of the shortage. If you think you are allergic to eggs,
talk to your health care provider before getting this shot.
- Pneumococcal
pneumonia: You should get this shot if you are 65 or older.
The shot is also recommended for adults who have chronic illnesses, such as diabetes
or heart, kidney, or lung problems. You should have no more than 2 shots of
the pneumonia vaccine in your lifetime. The shots should be given at least
5 years apart.
What about other immunizations?
Other shots you may need are:
- Hepatitis
B: The vaccine is given as a 3-shot series. The second shot is given
1 month after the first. The third shot is given 6 months
after the first.
If you have been exposed to the hepatitis virus, your health
care provider will check your level of protection with a blood test. Ask
your provider if you need this series of shots.
- Measles/mumps/rubella
(MMR): This shot is recommended if you were born
after 1956 unless you are immune because you have already
had the shot or the diseases.
If a woman is not immune to rubella and becomes infected
with the virus during pregnancy, the baby could also become infected.
The
infection could
cause severe birth defects. Women who have not had rubella
and did not get the MMR shot as a child should have the shot before they
become pregnant.
- Chickenpox
(varicella): If you have never had chickenpox, you may choose
to have a series of 2 shots to protect against this common
childhood disease. The disease can be more serious in adults.
- Meningococcal
vaccine: This vaccine protects against meningitis. The
American College Health Association recommends that college
freshmen, especially those
who will live in dorms, get this shot before they start
school. It is also recommended for people who have a weakened immune system or
who do
not have
a spleen.
- Travel-related
shots: Travel to some countries requires you to be immunized
against typhoid, hepatitis A, and other diseases. The shots
you need vary for different countries. Your health care provider or public
health department
can advise you.
Where can I get the shots?
You can get the shots from your health care provider
and at most local health departments.
For more information contact:
National Coalition for Adult Immunization
4733 Bethesda Avenue, Suite 750
Bethesda, MD 20814-5278
Phone: 301-656-0003
Web site: http://www.nfid.org/ncai
Information is also available at your local health
department.
September 2005
Written by Carolyn Norrgard, RNC, BA, MEd, and Carol Matheis-Kraft, PhD, RNC,
for McKesson Health Solutions LLC.