Maintaining a robust immune system is as essential for adults as it is for children. Vaccines are crucial in preventing the spread of infectious diseases and protecting you from potentially severe health complications.
Kadie E. Leach, MD, is our internal medicine specialist in Lanham, Maryland. She provides primary care services, including preventive care and chronic disease management for adults in and around Washington, DC.
Here are the adult immunizations Dr. Leach recommends for maintaining optimal health and well-being.
The influenza vaccine is a yearly essential for adults. Influenza viruses change from year to year, making it crucial to get vaccinated annually. This vaccine helps prevent seasonal flu and its potentially serious complications, especially for anyone with underlying health conditions.
Health complications related to influenza can range from sinus and ear infections to pneumonia or inflammation of the heart (myocarditis). People with asthma, diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic ailments are at higher risk of these complications.
The CDC recommends adults receive the COVID-19 vaccine and boosters as directed per public health guidelines. If you have questions about the vaccine, Dr. Leach is happy to discuss its many benefits.
Adults should receive a Tdap booster shot every ten years. Tdap is a combination vaccine that protects against three potentially serious bacterial infections: tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough).
Tetanus is found in soil and waste matter and can enter the body through a cut or other breaks in the skin. An infection can cause severe muscle spasms and stiffness that can eventually make it difficult to swallow or breathe.
Diphtheria typically spreads through the respiratory system and can eventually cause difficulty breathing, heart failure, and death. Pertussis causes uncontrollable coughing and can last for several months.
Pneumococcal disease can lead to severe infections in the lungs (pneumonia), blood (bacteremia), and the membranous covering of the brain and spinal cord (meningitis).
Dr. Leach recommends adults, especially those aged 65 and older, get the pneumococcal vaccine to prevent these potentially life-threatening infections.
The shingles vaccine protects adults aged 50 and older. Shingles is a painful rash caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which also causes chickenpox.
The vaccine helps reduce your risk of developing shingles and minimizes the severity of symptoms for those who still get the disease.
Hepatitis B and hepatitis A are viral infections that affect the liver. Adults at higher risk, including health care workers, those with multiple sex partners, and travelers to certain countries, should consider vaccination against these viruses.
While often associated with adolescents, the HPV vaccine is also recommended for adults up to the age of 45. HPV is a sexually transmitted infection that can lead to various cancers, including cervical cancer. Vaccination can help prevent these cancers.
Note that adults may require other vaccines in some circumstances, such as when traveling to certain countries or if you’re at high risk for particular illnesses.
Schedule a visit with Dr. Leach today for a physical exam and immunization update. Call our office or request an appointment online.
