What Patients Need to Know About Vaccines

Protection from childhood vaccines can wear off over time. With age, adults need immunizations too, not just children. According to the CDC, below are what vaccines you need depending on your age, gender, health condition, and some other circumstances.

Vaccines for Young Adults Age 19 to 26 Years

Young Adults ages 19-26: The CDC recommends young adults have the seasonal flu vaccine every year, as well as your Td or Tdap vaccine (Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis). You also need the HPV vaccine (protects against of human papillomaviruses that causes cervical, anal, and other cancers). There may be other vaccine shots that you need for your employer or school requirements. For example, this coming Fall, it is required in many universities to have the COVID-19 vaccine in order to live on campus and attend classes.

Vaccines for Adults Age 50 Years and Older

• You need to receive the shingles vaccine, which protects against shingles and the complications that come with it. 1 in 3 Americans over 60 years old develop the shingles in their lifetime.
• You also need the PPSV23 shot (Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine), which protects against diseases like meningitis and bloodstream infections.
• You need the PCV13 shot (Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine), which protects you against pneumococcal disease and pneumonia. Pneumonia becomes more dangerous as you age, so it is imperative that you receive this vaccine.

Adults with Underlining Health Conditions

• Adults with health conditions
• All adults need the flu shot
• Talk to your doctor about which vaccine shots you should take depending on what health conditions you have.
• Pregnant Women
• If you are pregnant, you need two vaccines during each pregnancy:
• Tdap vaccine to help protect against the whooping cough
• Flu shot to help protect against influenzas
• You may need more vaccines. Talk to your doctor about a specific plan for you and your pregnancy.

Healthcare Workers

• Flu shot
• Hepatitis B: if you don’t have evidence of a completed hepB vaccine series, or you don’t have an up-to-date blood test that shows that you are immune to hepatitis B, then you need to get the 3-dose series. Talk to your doctor and go over what you need.
• MMR: If you were born in 1957 or later and you haven’t received the MMR vaccine, you need 2 doses to protect yourself from the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella.
• Varicella: This is the chickenpox vaccine, which is required for all healthcare workers
• Meningococcal: One dose.

International Travelers

Up-to-date with all recommended vaccinations. Find out which vaccines you need based on the “Vaccine Self-Assessment Tool” on the CDC website.

Immigrants and Refugees

• Refugees and immigrants need to get all vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

Tips for a Speedy Flu Recovery

If you or a family member contracts the flu, you may not see any reason to visit your primary care provider. In some cases, seeing your medical doctor can help with a speedy recovery and prevent significant complications. There is no price to peace of mind. By seeking medical treatment when you don’t feel well, knowing that your body aches are only temporary can alleviate worry.

Symptoms of a Flu

Certain symptoms of the flu overlap with a common cold, but they tend to be more intense. The symptoms of the flu include a sore throat, fatigue, chills, muscle aches, fever over 100˚, nasal congestion, and a dry or wet cough. More severe symptoms include severe or persistent vomiting, chest pain, confusion, dizziness, severe neck stiffness, and a loss of consciousness. If you are experiencing any of the more severe symptoms, you need to visit the emergency room as soon as possible.

Patients that are High Risk for Flu Complications

There are some people at a higher risk of suffering dangerous complications or death from the flu. If you are 65 years or older, have a compromised immune system, have a chronic medical condition, are pregnant, or in a nursing home, you should seek advice from a doctor as soon as possible when diagnosed with the flu. Medications are more effective when they are used within two days after symptoms begin. As a rule of thumb when dealing with the flu, the sooner you seek medical attention, the better.

For those who are not considered high-risk individuals and are experiencing common symptoms, it may not be necessary to go to the hospital. Be sure to rest and drink plenty of fluids. With that being said there are some circumstances where you should go to the hospital. If your fever improves but then suddenly gets worse, your symptoms don’t improve after two weeks, your cough produces mucus, or your pain is centralized in one area (such as your chest), you should seek medical attention. Another valid reason to go to the hospital is peace of mind. If you are worried that your body will not react well to the flu or have you do not feel like you are improving, going to the hospital would be a good idea. Along with making sure you recover, one of the doctor’s main objectives is to make their patients have peace of mind. One way to significantly decrease the chances that you catch the flu is to get the flu vaccine.

At Jupiter Internal Medicine Associates, our medical providers are here to help. We encourage you to schedule a same day sick appointment today. Schedule your comprehensive medical visit to learn more about flu prevention and how to get a flu shot.

Being Proactive About Your Health

Typically there are two types of patients. Patients that are diligent about their health care needs and are invested in what the medical provider offers. The other type of patients are reactive and will only follow up with a medical provider when there is a health care crisis. Our view of health tends to help lay the medical road map to what health care needs lies ahead.

At Jupiter Internal Medicine Associates, our medical team encourages our patients to look into what preventive healthcare services are available to you and your family. Primary healthcare shouldn’t be looked at as a reactive service that should be used to help you recover, but rather as a proactive service used to prevent diseases.

Preventative medical care is just as important as reactive medical treatment, if not more so. According to the CDC, chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes are responsible for 7 out of 10 deaths in the United States each year. Many of these deaths are preventable through proactive treatment. Below is a helpful list of six preventive medical services that can help you improve your health, and avoid chronic diseases.

Regular Medical Checkups

Regular Checkups- It is essential for people to make regular doctor appointments, especially when they are healthy so that they can stay healthy. Doctors can point out habits that you have that will keep you healthy and point out some bad habits that potentially derail your health. Going to the doctor on a regular basis is a way to catch a chronic disease early and will give yourself a better chance to overcome it. For example, if you go to the doctor’s office and are diagnosed with stage one cancer, you have a much better chance of beating it then if you were diagnosed with the cancer too late.

Monitoring Your Blood Pressure

Blood Pressure Monitoring- High blood pressure is not good for your heart. If you monitor your blood pressure regularly, you can instill habits that will lower your blood pressure -such as exercising and changing your diet- to help prevent any heart conditioned caused by high blood pressure.

Check Your Cholesterol

Cholesterol Tests- Like high blood pressure, high cholesterol is not good for your heart. Being able to test your cholesterol levels early will help you catch diseases early or prevent them all together by changing dietary habits.

Monitoring Your Blood Sugar

Diabetes- According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), in 2015 30.3 million Americans (9.1% of the population) had diabetes. Diabetes affects 1 in 4 people over 65 years old. Use your primary healthcare provider to test your blood sugar levels to be sure that you do not have diabetes.

Establish Annual Cancer Screenings

Cancer Screenings- Cancer screenings are covered under most primary healthcare providers, and usually serve to find breast cancer, cervical cancer and colorectal cancer. Like previously mentioned, early detection is the key to beating cancer.

Monitoring Your Weight

Obesity- Your doctor can tell you if your weight and body fat levels are normal, or if you are considered obese. Obesity can lead to many diseases such as heart attacks, diabetes, and others. It is critical that your doctor knows if you are obese, so that you can collaborate on a plan to beat it.

Protection from childhood vaccines can wear off over time. Adults need to immunizations too, not just children. Below are what vaccines you need depending on your age, gender, health condition, and some other circumstances (According to the CDC):

• 19-26 Year old’s: You need to have the seasonal flu vaccine every year, as well as your Td or Tdap vaccine (Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis). You also need the HPV vaccine (protects against of human papillomaviruses that causes cervical, anal, and other cancers). There may be other vaccine shots that you need for your job or school requirements. For example, this coming fall, it is required in many universities to have the COVID-19 vaccine in order to live on campus.
• 50 Years or older-
  • You need to receive the shingles vaccine, which protects against shingles and the complications that come with it. 1 in 3 Americans over 60 years old develop the shingles in their lifetime.
  • You also need the PPSV23 shot (Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine), which protects against diseases like meningitis and bloodstream infections.
  • You need the PCV13 shot (Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine), which protects you against pneumococcal disease and pneumonia. Pneumonia becomes more dangerous as you age, so it is imperative that you receive this vaccine.
• Adults with health conditions
  • All adults need the flu shot
  • Talk to your doctor about which vaccine shots you should take depending on what health conditions you have.
• Pregnant Women
  • If you are pregnant, you need two vaccines during each pregnancy:
    • Tdap vaccine to help protect against the whooping cough
    • Flu shot to help protect against influenzas
  • You may need more vaccines. Talk to your doctor about a specific plan for you and your pregnancy.
• Healthcare Workers
  • Flu shot
  • Hepatitis B: if you don’t have evidence of a completed hepB vaccine series, or you don’t have an up-to-date blood test that shows that you are immune to hepatitis B, then you need to get the 3-dose series. Talk to your doctor and go over what you need.
  • MMR: If you were born in 1957 or later and you haven’t received the MMR vaccine, you need 2 doses to protect yourself from the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella.
  • Varicella: This is the chickenpox vaccine, which is required for all healthcare workers
  • Meningococcal: One dose.
• International Travelers
  • Up-to-date with all recommended vaccinations. Find out which vaccines you need based on the “Vaccine Self-Assessment Tool” on the CDC website.
• Immigrants and Refugees
  • Refugees and immigrants need to get all vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).