Should You Be Receiving These Vaccines?

Are you up to date on your vaccines? Are your loved ones? Receiving scheduled immunizations can easily fall to the bottom of your to-do list when you have other health-related priorities. However, in light of National Immunization Awareness Month, we’d like to offer a reminder of the importance of keeping current with all suggested vaccinations.

Unfortunately, we sometimes see people experiencing medical emergencies related to not receiving timely vaccinations. In an effort to help you avoid urgent medical situations like this, we’ve compiled a list of serious medical conditions that are easily prevented through immunization. Not receiving the vaccine for these diseases can have serious consequences. Here are a few vaccines that should be on your radar to talk to your medical provider about, and see if they recommend them for you.

Diptheria is a disease caused by bacteria that, once inside your body, creates toxins that can make you very sick. It can be spread through skin or respiratory contact. The DTaP and Tdap vaccines are effective for children, teenagers, and adults.
Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox; if you’ve had chickenpox you’re at risk for developing shingles during your lifetime. Shingles is characterized by painful and itching skin that develops into a rash.

If the pain or rash develop near your eye, you should come into the El Mirage Emergency Room; failure to do so could cause permanent eye damage. We recommend that adults over the age of 50 get the shingles vaccine, which is over 90% effective at preventing the disease.

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is often given to children during their pre-teen or teenage years. Not being immunized against this disease puts you at greater risk for developing a variety of cancers. This vaccine is designed for those younger than 45 years of age.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus, more commonly known as RSV, is responsible for many cases of respiratory illness among all age groups. For someone with RSV, an emergency room visit is necessary when the individual is having difficulty breathing, has a high fever, or has a bluish hue to the skin; especially on our around the nail beds. There are different immunization paths for children and adults; an RSV vaccine is usually used for adults, while a monoclonal antibody injection is often recommended for children.
Last, but not least, we recommend that children and adults receive an influenza vaccine yearly. Hundreds of millions of Americans have received the flu vaccine over the last 50 years, and every year it prevents serious illness or death from the flu. People end up in the emergency room every year due to preventable complications from the flu. Since 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that there have been 140,000 and 710,000 flu-related hospitalizations each year and between 12,000 and 56,000 flu-related deaths each year.

We want the El Mirage community to stay as healthy as possible, and a big part of practicing good health includes receiving your recommended vaccines. We’re here for when you need urgent medical help in El Mirage, and are cheering you on as you take steps to achieve your best possible health.