For the most part, people associate immunizations with childhood and infancy because this is when most vaccinations are given. However, just because most vaccines are given to people when they are young or when they are a baby, it does not mean that you personally have gotten all of the immunizations you should have. In fact, because immunizations are constantly evolving and being updated, not checking with your family health provider about vaccines you should get as an adult could be a mistake. Here is a look at some of the reasons immunizations may be necessary even though you are fully grown.
Certain immunizations were not available when you were young.
Immunization of the population is an ongoing level of research and development among the medical community. Therefore, new vaccines are added throughout the years. Therefore, you may find out that there are new vaccines available that were simply not around when you were a kid. For example, the chicken pox vaccination was not available until 1995, so if you were an adult before that point, you probably were not vaccinated. However, the vaccine is still available in spite of you being a fully grown adult.
Certain immunizations should be regiven because their effects fade as you get older.
The effects of some forms of immunizations can actually lose their effectiveness as you get older. Therefore, even though you may have been vaccinated for a certain illness, disease, or group of illnesses and diseases when you were younger, you may have to be revaccinated. This is especially true for older adults who may have received a vaccination when they were children, but are specifically vulnerable to the same illnesses now that they are older. For example, the pneumococcus (pneumonia) vaccine is one vaccination that is often given to older adults, even if they may have gotten the vaccination when they were younger.
Certain immunizations are designed to be given on an annual or similar basis.
The influenza vaccine is the perfect example of one vaccine that you should get every year. However, there are other vaccines that are designed to be given on a certain schedule throughout your adult life as well. The Tdap (Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) vaccine is one example, as it should be given about every ten years to remain effective in protecting you. It is always wise to keep a good record of past immunizations and talk to your doctor about those vaccines you might need.
For more information, contact establishments like Nacogdoches Family Medicine.
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