There has been a great deal in the news about vaccinations in the last couple of years. Most adults in the U.S. think “if I was vaccinated as a child I am all set for life.” Well, this is no longer correct. New scientific understanding about how vaccines work in our bodies and how our immune systems work have led the medical community to recommend that adults should now receive appropriate booster vaccinations to be fully protected. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that “all healthcare professionals should routinely assess patient vaccine needs and recommend the appropriate vaccines.” CDC, 2017. Why is this happening now? It is fairly simple: vaccinations have only been available for about 40-50 years and scientists are still learning how our immune systems respond to vaccines. They now understand that vaccinations wear off and that booster vaccinations are needed to keep a person fully protected.
A common myth about vaccinations is that the diseases that they protect you against no longer exist. This is just not true. These serious diseases do still exist, and because vaccination levels have decreased, the number of cases of these diseases have risen significantly in recent years. In Michigan in 2014 there were 1,424 cases of pertussis (whooping cough) an increase of 43% over the number of cases reported in 2013. The age range of the cases was 14 days to 90 years. Mi. Gov, 2014.
What can we all do about this? Talk with your healthcare provider, find out how up to date you are on your immunizations. Get the vaccinations you need. Vaccines are one of the safest ways to protect your health. Vaccines go through years of testing before they can be licensed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA and CDC continually monitor all licensed vaccines for safety and efficacy. Remember, vaccines do not give you the disease. Vaccines teach the immune system how to defend your body from the disease when a bacteria or virus is introduced to the body. Get up to date with your vaccinations for yourself, for your family, and for all the infants and people who are too young or too immunocompromised to be vaccinated themselves. Do it because it is good for you and for your community.