Vaccines
Vaccines for Adults
Flu Vaccine
Everyone should undergo a flu vaccine once a year. The vaccine is usually available in late summer or early autumn, and it offers protection for the entire year.
Flu vaccine is dead. It does not contain “a little bit of the flu,” and it is therefore impossible to get the flu from the vaccine.
Flu can be a debilitating, even fatal illness. The disease spreads fast, and it can develop into a life-threatening pneumonia or other critical illness. Serious complications can occur in people who are young and otherwise healthy.
Shingles Vaccine
This is as series of two vaccines, two months apart. Shingles is a painful, debilitating illness. It is now vaccine-preventable. Insurance companies pay for this vaccine for patients 50 and older.
Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis (TdAP) Vaccine
This vaccine should be administered at least every ten years.
Tetanus is a neurological disorder caused by a common bacteria. Tetanus infections can occur from even small scrapes and wounds. Fortunately, the vaccine is effective.
Pertussis (whooping cough) is known for causing a 100-day cough. The disease is highly contagious, and it can occur in epidemics In babies and children, pertussis can be fatal. It is particularly important for fathers or those who plan to be fathers to undergo this vaccine.
Vaccines for Adolescents and Young Adults
Adolescents need to ensure that they have received standard childhood vaccines. For teenagers who grew up in Arizona, this information is often available to us through a state-wide database. For others, it may be necessary to contact your former pediatrician to obtain vaccine records
Flu Vaccine
See Above
Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis (TdAP) Vaccine
See Above
Meningitis Vaccine
Bacterial meningitis is a dangerous, highly-contagious illness. It is most common among teenagers and university students. Meningitis is life-threatening, and it can even cause death in less than 24 hours. Teenagers and university students should be vaccinated every five years.
Human Papilloma Virus Vaccine
Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is a common virus that can be spread both sexually or not sexually. In women, it is the number one cause of cervical cancer. In men, human papilloma virus can cause cancers of the mouth and throat, genital and anal cancers, and it has been linked to heart disease and prostate cancer. The HPV vaccine is a dead vaccine. It is administered in a series of two vaccines for men under age 15, three doses for guys who are 15 and older.
Missing this vaccine? Your insurance will still cover it up to age 42.
Common Questions About Vaccines
I get sick every time I get a vaccine.
The majority of vaccines are dead. There are no complete germs in the vaccines, and it is therefore impossible to get sick from the vaccine.
When vaccines were first invented, the vaccine contained a small amount of the live virus or bacteria. The patient got “a little sick” from the vaccine and developed immunity to the disease. Modern vaccines use only proteins—parts of viruses or bacteria.
In some instances, patients can have an immune response, such as a slight fever, a sore arm, or redness around the injection site.
Can my body handle all of these vaccines at once?
Yes. The tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (TdAP) vaccine contains three antigens. A single sneeze can contain about 200 million antigens.
Do vaccines cause autism? Are you sure? Why is this still in the news?
In the 1990s, a British physician published a paper linking the measles vaccine to a bowel disorder. Parents had enrolled their children in the study, and one parent suggested that the vaccine might be linked to autism spectrum disorder. This was shown to be false since some children in the study had behavioral problems before they received the vaccine. The article was retracted, and its author lost his medical license.
Autism spectrum disorder can be difficult for parents, families, and patients. The cause of the disease is unknown, and treatments are limited. For this reason, many have sought to find a cause for the illness: a nutritional problem, environmental exposure, etc.
The criteria to establish a diagnosis of autism changed. More children are now diagnosed with autism, so there is an illusion that the disease has grown or spread.
I've never seen anyone with measles. Why should I be vaccinated?
Measles, and other vaccine-preventable diseases, do happen. You might not have seen this disease because people are vaccinated. There is now greater travel to and from countries where vaccination is less common, people with diseases that affect the immune system now live longer but they are more susceptible to some infectious diseases, and there has been an increase in vaccine refusal by patients and parents.
