Vaccination for Adults Keep Track and Keep Safe

Dr.Parinita Kaur, 3 mins read

Vaccination for Adults Keep Track and Keep Safe 

It’s easy to think of COVID-19 when we come across words like “vaccine” or “vaccination” these days, corona virus is still novel but vaccinations against deadly diseases are not. Throughout history, vaccination has proved to be one of the most effective and beneficial measures humans have adopted to protect the world from potentially fatal diseases and pandemics. We also associate vaccination as something meant for kids, but this is not the case. Did you know there are specific vaccines for Specific ages of an adult’s life?

All health professionals recommend getting vaccines throughout life to avoid contracting infectious diseases and their consequences. Today, vaccines play a crucial role in global health by preventing mortality and keeping death from infection at fewer than 25% of all global deaths: but this figure is still not satisfactory. Doctors consistently recommend vaccination for adult patients as well, based on a number of factors. Adult vaccination is needed to mitigate the considerable health consequences of diseases that can be avoided among adults. Incomplete and insufficient immunization in India against a lot of communicable diseases has resulted in significant and avoidable costs both to life and treatment. The government of India and the World Health Organisation (WHO) consider childhood vaccination a top priority, but there is still not enough emphasis on adult vaccination. Adult vaccination in India is one of the most ignored parts of our health care services. We also need data on infectious diseases in India to be updated, refined, and reviewed in a timely and transparent manner; Adult immunization can be reviewed after three years to bring in new strategies from new and revealing research in India. The need for adult immunization is immediate and we are sitting on borrowed time. There are still many issues around the efficacy, safety, and cost of introducing vaccines for Indian adults and these too are yet to be resolved, but there is an urgent need to sensitize health planners as well as individuals regarding this pressing issue.

Vaccines for adults are recommended on the basis of age, other prior vaccinations, health profile, lifestyle, occupation, and travel history. The world has achieved great success in curbing morbidity, mortality, and disability among adults because of communicable diseases like Tetanus, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Diphtheria, Pertussis, HPV (human papilloma) virus, Encephalitis, Measles, Influenza, Chickenpox, Rubella, Pneumococcus, Typhoid, etc. However, in a country like India, communicable diseases still contribute greatly to morbidity, mortality, and disability.

Even though adults are at lesser risk of getting an infection, the emergence of HIV and the presence of diseases like Malaria and Tuberculosis have complicated the current healthcare scenario. 

The need for vaccinations doesn’t end as we grow older and regular vaccines help boost the efficacy of childhood vaccines, build immunity against newer comorbidities and protect against diseases when immunity is suppressed.

The various vaccines for adults are discussed below;

1) TDAP (Tetanus, Diptheria, and Asellular Pertussis) Vaccine

Adults who have got all the primary vaccinations done should receive a Td vaccine every 10 years till they reach the age of 65. Even a single dose of the Tdap vaccine can be administered in place of a Td vaccine at any time.  

• This is recommended for everyone, particularly for people with weakened or compromised immune systems.
• This is not recommended for People who’ve had an allergic reaction to Tdap they must avoid this vaccine.

2) MMR or (Measles, Mumps, And Rubella) Vaccine

The MMR vaccine protects against these three highly contagious diseases-measles, mumps, and rubella. All adults must receive two doses of MMR vaccine or a single dose of measles followed by one MMR shot. 

• Recommended for– People who haven’t got an MMR vaccine and those who have never had measles.
• Not recommended for - MMR vaccine is a live vaccine and pregnant women cannot get this vaccine. Also, people who have HIV or AIDS, are undergoing cancer treatment or have blood disorders, and are immunosuppressed are generally advised against it.

3) Chickenpox

Also called the Varicella vaccine, this is a regular part of any vaccination program. 

All adults who don’t have immunity to varicella or those who got infected before should receive two doses of a single antigen varicella vaccine or the second dose of a single antigen varicella vaccine if they have received only a single dose. 

 – Varicella is a live vaccine and hence is not advised for pregnant women and immunosuppressed people.

4) Herpes Zoster Vaccine or Shingles Vaccine-

The shingles vaccine protects from a condition called postherpetic neuralgia, a complication that brings about burning pain after the symptoms of shingles subside. 

• Recommended for– All adults above 50 years of age should get this vaccine.
• Not recommended for -Pregnant women and people with weak immunity should best avoid this vaccine?

5) Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine –The HPV vaccine protects against a series of infections that can cause cervical, vulvar and vaginal cancer in women and penile cancer in men.

• Recommended for boys and girls at age 11 or 12 so they are protected from the virus through potential future sexual activity. Men with sexual relationships with other men can also get the vaccine until the age of 26.

Other significant vaccines for adults are pneumococcal, hepatitis, influenza, and you can get in touch with us for adult vaccination schedule depending upon varied environmental factors. 

• Pneumococcal – Vaccines against Streptococcus pneumoniae are known as pneumococcal vaccines. They can help prevent pneumonia, meningitis, and sepsis in some cases. Pneumococcal vaccines are divided into two categories: conjugate vaccines and polysaccharide vaccines. They are administered by injection into a muscle or just beneath the skin. Pneumococcal vaccines should be administered to everyone above the age of 64 years and/or with comorbidities and immunosuppressed individuals.
• Influenza vaccine - Influenza vaccines are also called   flu jabs or flu shots. Your body develops antibodies to several strains of the influenza virus as a result of the vaccine. These antibodies aid in the defence of your body against infection. There are numerous strains of the influenza virus. As the influenza virus evolves rapidly, new vaccine versions are developed twice a year.

Dr. Parinita Kaur

Consultant

Internal Medicine