We all know the importance of getting vaccines to bolster your immune system as a child. In adulthood, you also need to update old vaccines and get new immunizations to fight off disease and stay as healthy as possible.
Staying up to date with vaccines is one of the most important preventative care services offered by Thomas Nguyen, MD, at Boynton Beach, Florida’s Nguyen Medical Group. Keep reading to find out when you need to update immunizations as an adult.
Getting immunized as a child doesn’t mean you’re fully protected from infections for life. All adults need certain vaccines, and others need additional immunizations due to their lifestyles.
These are some of the reasons you need immunizations in adulthood:
Some vaccines, such as influenza and COVID-19, are updated yearly. What’s in the vaccination varies and depends on which strains of the viruses are most prevalent that season.
You must get the new vaccine annually to remain protected against seasonal illnesses like COVID-19 and influenza. A vaccine from previous years is no longer effective the following winter.
As you age, your immune system declines. You need vaccines you didn’t get when you were younger to protect you from serious illness.
One-time vaccines you get as you get older include:
It also becomes even more important to ensure you get annual influenza and COVID-19 immunizations when you’re 65 and older.
Just because you got vaccines when you were younger doesn’t mean they’re still maximally effective. Sometimes, immunizations you get as a child wear off and need to be redone when you’re older.
Our team can perform tests to determine if the vaccines you received in childhood are still giving you full immunity. If not, we recommend readministering the vaccines.
If your next trip is outside the United States, you might need more immunizations. Dangerous diseases can exist in other countries that don’t exist in America.
Possible immunizations and medication you might need can include:
Before your trip, give yourself plenty of time to get all the vaccines so you’re fully protected when you travel.
It isn't too late if you didn’t get some or all of your vaccines in childhood. You can get up to date on vaccines as an adult and have full protection now.
If you’ve missed any or all childhood vaccinations, our team develops an immunization schedule to get you caught up.
Getting new vaccines is quick and easy. It takes just a few minutes and can be done at your annual physical or a separate appointment.
After getting the vaccine, you might experience slight soreness in your arm at the injection site, but you won’t have any serious side effects. You can immediately return to your usual routine.
Updating vaccines is quick and simple and could save your life. Contact us to schedule your immunization or preventative health appointment.
