Did You Know?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at least 45,000 American adults die of complications of influenza, pneumococcal infections, and hepatitis B each year. Those figures can be startling considering that each of the aforementioned diseases can be prevented with vaccines. While certain vaccines given during childhood, such as the one given for polio, protect people for the duration of their lives, vaccinations for certain diseases must be given periodically for people to maintain immunity. Other vaccines, such as the chickenpox vaccination, were not available when many adults were children. The CDC recommends all adults get annual vaccinations for varicella (chickenpox), hepatitis B, measles-mumps-rubella (MMR), and tetanus. The CDC also notes that as people age they grow more susceptible to serious diseases caused by common infections, emphasizing the need for the elderly to receive annual vaccinations for influenza for those over the age of 50 and pneumonia for those 65 and older. To receive a complete adult immunization schedule, visit the CDC Web site at www.cdc.gov.