X-Rays and Other Options: Explained
X-rays have been a part of medical imaging for as long as this field has existed, and people still get them today. But is it the best or safest option for diagnosing injuries and illnesses?
Immunizations for Adults: Which Do I Need, and When?
Vaccines are one of the most effective medical advances in stopping diseases in their tracks, and their widespread use has nearly eliminated polio, smallpox, tetanus, hepatitis A and B, measles, whooping cough (pertussis), chickenpox (varicella), diphtheria and the mumps. In fact, the World Health Assembly declared smallpox eliminated globally back in 1980, and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative has managed to make great strides in ridding the world of the disease.
If you don’t recognize some of the diseases on the list, vaccinations are the reason, and accomplishing this works by getting kids immunized to avoid the risk of illness. However, some conditions are also common in adults, which means a different set of routine vaccines to ensure you stay healthy.
Adults in the Orangevale & Rancho Cordova, California, area who need to get their vaccines can get them with Dr. Andrew Nangalama and his experienced team at American River Urgent Care.
How vaccines work
You get infections that develop into diseases from viruses, bacteria, and other harmful contagions in the environment and from people who already have it. Vaccines train the body to build up immunity to them by imitating an infection by using inert variants of the virus, triggering the body into defending itself. When this happens, the immune system responds by creating antibodies from white blood cells to fight off infections and keep you from getting sick.
Once any trace of infection is gone, the body keeps some cells around if the infection tries to come back. Sometimes viruses mutate, which leads to the necessity of routine shots, like the Flu and COVID-19 vaccines we get annually to train us against newer strains.
Diseases more common in adults
While there are some diseases that children and adults are prone to get, such as the flu shots we get every year, as we get older, the risk of other diseases we need vaccinations from increases, including:
Pneumococcal Vaccine
Pneumonia is a condition that can be fatal in older adults in bad health, so this is vital if you’re 65 or older, people under 64 with diseases that affect your immune system, take medications that increase the risk of infection, smoke, have asthma or live in a nursing home. People with long-term illnesses like diabetes, alcoholism, and heart disease are also at risk, so they should get vaccinated.
Hepatitis A and B Vaccine
Both of these illnesses are dangerous for people who have HIV, use illegal drugs, are men having sex with men, have sex with people with the disease, have a long-term liver disease, or live with or in the same area as someone with either disease.
HPV (Human Papillomavirus) Vaccine
This is something you should get before starting to have sex, but if you’re a young man or woman under 26 and haven’t been immunized, get it as soon as possible.
Meningococcal Vaccine
To lower your risk of meningitis or septicemia, this shot is recommended for adults who haven’t had the shot and have a damaged spleen, work with the bacteria that causes meningitis, have immune system problems, or are traveling to countries with the disease.
Shingles (Zoster) Vaccine
People over 50 and younger adults who are immunocompromised through disease or therapy should get this vaccine. It’s 90% effective and lasts up to five years.
Vaccination schedules
The flu and COVID-19 vaccines should be taken annually to prepare for variant strains at all ages, but different types of vaccines are available once you’re over 65.
Here’s the age breakdown of when adults (ages 19 or older) should get these various vaccines:
- Ages 19-26: hepatitis A and B, HPV, Meningococcal B (19-23 years), two or three doses for all, depending on the vaccine used
- Ages 27-49: HPV (27-45 years)
- Ages 50-64: shingles (two doses), pneumococcal (one dos,e depending on the vaccine used)
- Ages 65 and older: shingles, pneumococcal, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) (75 years or older)
If you haven’t had shots for childhood vaccines like Td or Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis), MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella), or VAR (varicella, or chickenpox), here’s that schedule:
- Tdap: one dose, booster every 10 years
- MMR: one or two doses
- VAR: two doses if born in 1980 or later
Vaccines save lives, and getting them when you need them can improve your quality of life as you age. To get these shots, make an appointment with Dr. Nangalama and his team at American River Urgent Care today.
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