Immunization isn’t just for childhood. In fact, immunization experts at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control say that some childhood vaccines may not last a lifetime. Here are a few vaccinations that may need a booster.
- Tetanus — you should be getting a tetanus booster every year. Now you also have the option of extra protection in the form of the Tdap booster, which also includes protection against whooping cough and diphtheria. Pertussis (whooping cough) has been making a comeback over the last twenty years — more than twenty-five thousand cases were reported in the U.S. in 2005. CDC experts realize now that the pertussis vaccination many people have as a child may only provide full protection for a decade.
- MMR — measles, mumps, and rubella — if you had your MMR between 1957 and 1967, you should ask your doctor about a refresher. The vaccine version during those years has now been shown to not be an effective lifetime dose. And don’t think the mumps have disappeared — a typical year sees fewer than 300 cases. In 2006, nearly six thousand cases were reported in the U.S.
- The flu shot — the U.S. Centers for Disease Control suggest that all adults get a flu vaccine in the fall. The formula for the shot changes each year in an attempt to keep up with the mutating flu virus.
- The HPV vaccine — human papillomavirus — is highly recommended for women under the age of twenty-six. It can protect against cervical cancer! But it may also be good for older women, especially those who are re-entering the dating pool after a long relationship or marriage.
- Zostavax — when you turn sixty, ask your doctor for this vaccine against shingles (a blistering rash caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox) and postherpetic neuralgia (a painful problem seen in approximately forty percent of people who develop shingles).