Immunizations Specialist

What are immunizations?

Your natural defense to disease is called immunity. You build up immunity after getting sick, or by being immunized with a vaccine.

Vaccines kick-start your body’s internal defense system without making you sick. Instead, vaccines are preventive care to stop you from getting sick in the first place. Immunizations are typically shots administered under your skin or in a muscle. Some flu vaccines, however, can be inhaled.

What diseases do immunizations prevent?

Each vaccine is designed to prevent only one type of health condition. The diseases that vaccines prevent include:

• Diphtheria: Can lead to breathing problems, paralysis, and heart failure
• Tetanus: Causes tightening of your muscles, particularly around the jaw
• Pertussis: Also known as whooping cough, this condition causes violent coughing and other symptoms
• Hepatitis B: A serious virus that can lead to liver damage or liver cancer
• Pneumococcal disease: Can lead to a brain infection called meningitis
• Polio: A condition that can cause permanent paralysis

For some vaccines, you need several shots over time to maintain your immunity. Sometimes, several vaccines are packaged into a single shot to reduce your total number of shots.

What immunizations do young children need?

Young children need immunizations to ward off dangerous childhood diseases. Childhood immunizations are administered in a series of shots over time. Here are some of the vaccines your child needs by age 2:

• Four doses of diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccine (DTaP)
• Three doses of polio vaccine
• Two doses of hepatitis A vaccine
• Three doses of hepatitis B vaccine
• One dose of measles, mumps & rubella vaccine (MMR)
• One dose of chickenpox vaccine

Young children also need a flu shot each year.

Should adults get immunizations?

People of all ages benefit from immunizations. As you get older, you need vaccines to remain immune to certain diseases. Depending on the immunizations you had earlier in life, you may need one of these shots as an adult:

• Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (TDaP) vaccine
• Shingles vaccine
• Human papillomavirus

It’s also a great idea to get a flu shot every year.

If you or a loved one wants to stay healthy by building your body’s natural defenses to diseases, then trust the caring, experienced team at Sulkowski Family Medicine to recommend the right immunizations. Call today or schedule a consultation online.