Vaccination is a cost-effective measure to have protection against potentially fatal diseases. Not just children, but adults also need immunization to prevent certain life-threatening and incurable diseases. Adult vaccines are recommended based on different factors, such as age, health conditions, occupation, lifestyle, travel, and prior vaccinations.
Here is a list of the most significant adult vaccines medical professionals recommend:
Acronym for Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Acellular Pertussis, TDAP vaccine is recommended for adults who are done with their primary vaccination series.
Everyone, specifically people with a weakened immune system.
Acronym for Measles, Mumps, and Rubella, this vaccine protects against these extremely contagious diseases. Adults should get one dose of measles and one dose of MMR vaccine or two doses of MMR vaccine.
People who have never had measles and have not received MMR vaccine yet.
Pregnant women should not take the MMR vaccine as it is a live vaccine. Also, adults undergoing treatment for cancer, having HIV/AIDS, blood disorder or are immunosuppressed should avoid taking the vaccine.
Also popular as a chickenpox vaccine, varicella vaccine is now included in the regular list of the adult vaccination program.
All adults who have not received the vaccine or never had chickenpox should get two doses of single-antigen varicella vaccine.
Predominantly called an HOV vaccine, the immunization safeguards an adult from numerous infections that can result in penile cancer in men and vulvar, cervical, and vaginal cancer in women. The infection caused by the HPV virus can also be a reason for anal cancer, throat cancer and genital warts.
The pneumococcal vaccine works against the infections caused by the bacteria, Streptococcus Pneumoniae. Typically, the bacteria causes pneumonia, blood infections, meningitis, and if left untreated, may lead to death.
There are two kinds of pneumococcal vaccines, such as Pneumococcal 13 (conjugate vaccine with 13 strains) and Pneumococcal 23 (a polysaccharide vaccine with 23 strains).
Hepatitis A and B vaccine is taken to have protection against any fatal infection caused by these bacteria.
All adults can take this vaccine. If you are someone who travels abroad frequently, you should get the Hepatitis A and B vaccine. Men who are sexually active with other men, people having haemophilia, chronic liver disease, people who use illegal drugs, should also take the vaccine.
Even if you have good information about the different adult vaccines, you shouldn’t get one without a doctor’s recommendation. Book an appointment with Dr. Ila Pandey and know which vaccines you should get to prevent certain diseases and infections in future.
