The Importance Of Vaccinations For National Immunization Awareness Month

Even though it’s still summertime, fall is right around the corner.

For all of us, staying healthy requires effort. Lifestyle choices, such as health-conscious dieting and daily exercise, play a huge part in managing disease and prolonging a healthy lifestyle! However, sometimes diet and exercise aren’t enough, especially for at-risk populations. Preventing disease and infections are more effective when also linked with routine vaccinations.

August is National Immunization Awareness Month, which was developed to highlight the value of immunization. This month serves to educate and highlight the benefits of vaccine protection for seniors and people managing chronic illnesses, all while encouraging people to take steps to avoid preventable infections.

Populations at Risk

When we think of vaccinations, our minds may go first to younger adults and infants. These populations are targeted because they are more at-risk for certain diseases due to their developing immune systems. Yet, any person of any age or health status could be infected by a vaccine-preventable disease. What’s more, older adults may have similarly weakened immune systems that put them at a higher infection risk. Even for individuals who were immunized in the past, the protective effects of some vaccines can fade away over time, so staying current is key.

For individuals coping with chronic illnesses, vaccination is important because their existing disease increases the risk of dangerous complications. A patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), for example, already has restricted airways that make it more taxing to breathe; an infection could make breathing problems considerably worse. Alternatively, flu-like symptoms such as vomiting or loss of appetite can disrupt a patient’s diabetes management and make blood sugar levels harder to control.

Getting Vaccinated

For the majority of patients, the benefits of getting vaccines outweigh any perceived risk. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), vaccines very rarely cause serious side effects; moreover, even if a vaccinated person contracts the disease, his or her illness will be less severe than it would have been if they hadn’t been vaccinated.

Recommended vaccines can vary depending on age, health status, lifestyle, and occupation. For adults, especially seniors and others with compromised immunity, the CDC emphasizes getting a flu shot every year, as early in the season as possible. Other worrisome diseases that vaccines can help prevent in older adults include pneumonia (spread by pneumococcal bacteria), shingles, hepatitis, and whooping cough. Your doctor can help you best determine what vaccines are right for you.

Finally, remember that although vaccines are useful for self-protection, they are also important to protect more vulnerable populations. For caregivers, immunization can mean protecting seniors and loved ones from hazardous exposure, and avoiding the complications of preventable infections.

As the seasons change, consider talking to a doctor about how to stay healthy!

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    [post_content] => Even though it's still summertime, fall is right around the corner.

For all of us, staying healthy requires effort. Lifestyle choices, such as health-conscious dieting and daily exercise, play a huge part in managing disease and prolonging a healthy lifestyle! However, sometimes diet and exercise aren't enough, especially for at-risk populations. Preventing disease and infections are more effective when also linked with routine vaccinations.

August is National Immunization Awareness Month, which was developed to highlight the value of immunization. This month serves to educate and highlight the benefits of vaccine protection for seniors and people managing chronic illnesses, all while encouraging people to take steps to avoid preventable infections.



Populations at Risk

When we think of vaccinations, our minds may go first to younger adults and infants. These populations are targeted because they are more at-risk for certain diseases due to their developing immune systems. Yet, any person of any age or health status could be infected by a vaccine-preventable disease. What’s more, older adults may have similarly weakened immune systems that put them at a higher infection risk. Even for individuals who were immunized in the past, the protective effects of some vaccines can fade away over time, so staying current is key.

For individuals coping with chronic illnesses, vaccination is important because their existing disease increases the risk of dangerous complications. A patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), for example, already has restricted airways that make it more taxing to breathe; an infection could make breathing problems considerably worse. Alternatively, flu-like symptoms such as vomiting or loss of appetite can disrupt a patient’s diabetes management and make blood sugar levels harder to control.

Getting Vaccinated

For the majority of patients, the benefits of getting vaccines outweigh any perceived risk. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), vaccines very rarely cause serious side effects; moreover, even if a vaccinated person contracts the disease, his or her illness will be less severe than it would have been if they hadn't been vaccinated.

Recommended vaccines can vary depending on age, health status, lifestyle, and occupation. For adults, especially seniors and others with compromised immunity, the CDC emphasizes getting a flu shot every year, as early in the season as possible. Other worrisome diseases that vaccines can help prevent in older adults include pneumonia (spread by pneumococcal bacteria), shingles, hepatitis, and whooping cough. Your doctor can help you best determine what vaccines are right for you.

Finally, remember that although vaccines are useful for self-protection, they are also important to protect more vulnerable populations. For caregivers, immunization can mean protecting seniors and loved ones from hazardous exposure, and avoiding the complications of preventable infections.

As the seasons change, consider talking to a doctor about how to stay healthy!
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