About Hepatitis | Your Questions, Our Answers
Mar
11
Posted on 11-03-2010
Filed Under (hepatitis) by admin on 11-03-2010
Ray Lengel asked:
Vaccinations protect the body against common infectious diseases. They are used to prevent disease, decrease the severity of disease and decrease death. Most immunizations are given during the developmental years but there are some immunizations that are given to adults, especially older adults. Important vaccinations in older adults include the influenza vaccine, pneumococcal vaccine, tetanus/diphtheria vaccine and the shingles vaccine.
Adults are candidates for other vaccinations. This includes immunization against hepatitis A & B. Hepatitis A immunization may be needed in those with diseases of the blood or liver, those who travel to areas that have high rates of hepatitis A or those who have sex with more than one person.
Hepatitis B immunization may be needed in the older adult who is receiving hemodialysis, those who are exposed to blood products, inject drugs intravenously, and those who have sex with more than one partner or those with a sexual transmitted disease.
Immunization against Mumps, Measles and Rubella (MMR) may be needed in people born after 1957 that have not had 2 immunizations with MMR or documented immunity to the diseases.
Tetanus/Diphtheria (Td) booster should be given every 10 years. Tetanus is a bacterium that enters the skin and affects the central nervous system resulting in difficulty swallowing, drooling, fever, irritability, convulsions, respiratory or cardiac arrest and death. Diphtheria, a respiratory disease that is spread by coughing or sneezing, can be fatal. This immunization reduces the incidence of these two potentially fatal diseases.
Individuals who have never had a Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) are a candidate for a one-time dose of this vaccination in place of the Td. The main difference between the Td and the Tdap is the addition of the pertussis part of the vaccination. Pertussis is the bacterium responsible for whooping cough.
Influenza vaccines decrease death rates and hospitalizations during flu season. They should be given every year in the fall. Influenza or flu can be deadly in the older population and immunization is recommended in patients over the age of 50 or those with chronic diseases such as heart disease, lung disease, kidney disease and diabetes. Chronic diseases that increase risk of death when inflicted with influenza include chronic lung disease, heart disease and diabetes. It should not be given to individual who are allergic to eggs or egg products.
The pneumococcal vaccine should be given to everyone over the age of 65. It should also be given (after the age of 65) to anyone who had the vaccine more than five years before turning 65. It should also be administered to patients with diabetes, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), those without a spleen, or those afflicted with chronic lung, kidney, heart or liver disease.
The most recently developed vaccine that is recommended for the older adult is the shingles vaccine. It is recommended to be given at the age of 60.
Vaccinations are critically important in staving off disease. In today’s health care environment, many people are not up to date on their vaccinations. For more information on vaccinations visit
http://www.cdc.gov or http://www.mini-medicalschool.com or check out Don’t Get Sick: Seven Steps to Optimal Preventative Health Care.
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Vaccinations protect the body against common infectious diseases. They are used to prevent disease, decrease the severity of disease and decrease death. Most immunizations are given during the developmental years but there are some immunizations that are given to adults, especially older adults. Important vaccinations in older adults include the influenza vaccine, pneumococcal vaccine, tetanus/diphtheria vaccine and the shingles vaccine.
Adults are candidates for other vaccinations. This includes immunization against hepatitis A & B. Hepatitis A immunization may be needed in those with diseases of the blood or liver, those who travel to areas that have high rates of hepatitis A or those who have sex with more than one person.
Hepatitis B immunization may be needed in the older adult who is receiving hemodialysis, those who are exposed to blood products, inject drugs intravenously, and those who have sex with more than one partner or those with a sexual transmitted disease.
Immunization against Mumps, Measles and Rubella (MMR) may be needed in people born after 1957 that have not had 2 immunizations with MMR or documented immunity to the diseases.
Tetanus/Diphtheria (Td) booster should be given every 10 years. Tetanus is a bacterium that enters the skin and affects the central nervous system resulting in difficulty swallowing, drooling, fever, irritability, convulsions, respiratory or cardiac arrest and death. Diphtheria, a respiratory disease that is spread by coughing or sneezing, can be fatal. This immunization reduces the incidence of these two potentially fatal diseases.
Individuals who have never had a Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) are a candidate for a one-time dose of this vaccination in place of the Td. The main difference between the Td and the Tdap is the addition of the pertussis part of the vaccination. Pertussis is the bacterium responsible for whooping cough.
Influenza vaccines decrease death rates and hospitalizations during flu season. They should be given every year in the fall. Influenza or flu can be deadly in the older population and immunization is recommended in patients over the age of 50 or those with chronic diseases such as heart disease, lung disease, kidney disease and diabetes. Chronic diseases that increase risk of death when inflicted with influenza include chronic lung disease, heart disease and diabetes. It should not be given to individual who are allergic to eggs or egg products.
The pneumococcal vaccine should be given to everyone over the age of 65. It should also be given (after the age of 65) to anyone who had the vaccine more than five years before turning 65. It should also be administered to patients with diabetes, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), those without a spleen, or those afflicted with chronic lung, kidney, heart or liver disease.
The most recently developed vaccine that is recommended for the older adult is the shingles vaccine. It is recommended to be given at the age of 60.
Vaccinations are critically important in staving off disease. In today’s health care environment, many people are not up to date on their vaccinations. For more information on vaccinations visit
http://www.cdc.gov or http://www.mini-medicalschool.com or check out Don’t Get Sick: Seven Steps to Optimal Preventative Health Care.
Compare Gas Furnaces
