Immunizations - Introduction

Common Adult Vaccines. Vaccinations against the following disorders are also recommended routinely for certain adults:

Influenza (flu). Every year in high-risk adults under 49 and everyone over 50. When supplies are limited, as with the 2004-2005 flu season, the vaccine should be administered preferentially to adults only over age 65 and to individuals with heart disease, lung disease, and other significant chronic illnesses. Health care providers with direct patient contact, child care providers, and residents of long-term care facilities should also be vaccinated.
Pneumococcal pneumonia. One dose in high risk adults under 64 and a first dose or a revaccination in everyone over 65.
Hepatitis A and B and Meningococcal vaccine. Given tohigh-risk individuals.
Tetanus. Adults need a booster shot every ten years.
Measles, mumps, rubella. Typically given toadults under 50 who are unsure of their vaccination history. High-risk individuals may received two doses.
Varicella (chickenpox). High-risk individuals may received two doses.

Vaccine Forms

Vaccines are currently taken by mouth (orally) or given by injection (intraveneously). Vaccines are usually made of one of two agents that cause the body to produce antibodiesthat attacka specificdisease.A vaccinemay contain:

A live but weakened virus. Live-virus vaccines provide longer immunity than inactivated ones, but they can cause serious infection in people with weakened immune systems and have also been associated with severe medical disorders in rare instances.
Inactivated bacteria, viruses, or toxoids. Inactivated vaccines are safe even in people with impaired immune systems.

Click the icon to see an image of antibodies.

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The weakened or inactivated agent in the vaccine teaches theimmune system torecognize the real, harmful substanceand attack it when the person becomes exposed to the infection. The antibodies remain in the body, preventing futureillness from the disease. This is called immunity.

Combination Vaccines. The American Academy of Pediatricsand American Academy of Family Physicians recommend that healthcare providers use, whenever possible, combination vaccines instead of individual components. Currently a child must have 20 injections in the first year of life for full recommended immunity. Combination shots containing vaccines for diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP), and for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) have been available for years. New combinations that cover up to five vaccinations are being developed and are proving to be safe and well tolerated in infants as young as two months. For example, one that combines DTaP, hepatitis B, and the polio vaccine (Pediarix) has been approved and should simplify the immunization process.