Immunizations are for grown-ups, too
Immunizations aren’t just for kids.
In recent years, vaccinations for grown-ups have proliferated. Signs at pharmacies advertise shingles shots. Health officials urge everyone to get a yearly flu vaccine. And there’s always the every-10-years booster for tetanus.
“There are more immunizations available for adults than ever before,” said Patrick Joseph, a Bay Area physician and president of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. “That adds a level of confusion.”
The National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publishes an annual list of recommended immunizations based on age, health and risk factors. Doctors and public health officials base their advice on the CDC list, which recommends:
▪ Everyone should get an annual flu shot, which prevents three or four common strains of flu.
▪ Anyone who comes in regular contact with an infant needs a booster shot for whooping cough. The shots that many adults received as children wear off and won’t prevent an adult with whooping cough from infecting an infant. The disease, also called pertussis, generally isn’t serious for a healthy adult but can be deadly for infants.
“If any grandparents or aunts and uncles have not had TDaP (a tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis vaccine), they should get one when there’s a new baby in the family,” said Kate McAuley, a public health nurse and coordinator of Sacramento County’s immunization assistance program.
▪ Shingles shots are mainly for people over 60. They can stop the dormant chickenpox virus from reviving and causing painful skin rashes and other complications.
▪ Younger adults, generally ages 19-26, should make sure they’re current on shots for the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus.
Ronald Fong, a UC Davis family physician, suggests people go straight to the source to learn more. “I would pull up the CDC guidelines. That’s what we use,” he said.
The adult guidelines, and a quiz to determine what vaccines you might need, are at cdc.gov/vaccines.
Hudson Sangree: (916) 321-1191, @hudson_sangree
Adult vaccines at a glance
The CDC recommends the following list of vaccinations for adults, depending on their health and age. Pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems should not get MMR, shingles or chickenpox vaccines.
Vaccination | What it prevents | Who should have it |
Influenza | Three or four known strains of the seasonal flu | Everyone, each fall |
TDaP | Tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough, which can kill infants | All adults, every 10 years; pregnant women in third trimester |
MMR | Measles, mumps and rubella (German measles) | Adults born after 1956 who weren’t vaccinated as a child |
HPV | Human papillomavirus, which can cause cervical cancer | Those 26 or younger who weren’t vaccinated as children |
Shingles/ Zoster | A painful, adult form of chickenpox | Anyone over 60, even if you’ve had shingles before |
Pneumococcal | Pneumonia, and ear and sinus infections | People over 65 and those who have weakened immune systems |
Chickenpox | Varicella, a virus that causes an itchy rash | Adults who didn’t have the vaccination or disease as children |
Meningococcal | Bacterial meningitis | Mainly young adults entering college or the military |
Hepatitis A | A liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus | Those who didn’t have vaccination in childhood |
Hepatitis B | A liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus | At-risk individuals including medical professionals and IV drug users |
Source: National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
This story was originally published June 8, 2015 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Immunizations are for grown-ups, too."