There are few things more precious than good health. At every stage of life, better health begins here.
Vaccine-preventable diseases can cause significant illness, hospitalization, pain, disability, and death in the United States, particularly when it comes to older adults.
Listen as Grady Adkins, MD explains the importance of getting your adult immunization.
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Adult Vaccination Recommendations
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Learn more about Grady Adkins, MD
Grady Adkins, MD
Grady Adkins, MD is a family medicine doctor with Tideland Health.Learn more about Grady Adkins, MD
Transcription:
Adult Vaccination Recommendations
Bill Klaproth (Host): As vaccines are important for children, they are just as important for adults according to the CDC. Here to talk with us about adult immunization recommendations such as the pneumonia shot and the shingles vaccine is Dr. Grady Adkins of Tidelands Health. Dr. Adkins, thanks for your time. What are the main reasons an adult should get vaccinated?
Dr. Grady Adkins (Guest): Like you mentioned, we really push the vaccines in the children to help prevent disease and, for some of the vaccines, to prevent death. Then, you're still exposed to these as an adult and especially when you get to be a senior over age 65, your immunity wanes and you are more susceptible to illnesses. And so, it's important to either boost immunity to things you've been vaccinated for in the past or, in the case of shingles and pneumonia vaccines, it's possible that these vaccines you did not get when you were a child.
Bill: At what age you should start thinking about getting a shingles vaccine or the pneumonia shot?
Dr. Adkins: You want to think about getting the shingles vaccine starting at age 60 and its one shot. For the pneumonia shot for most adults you're going to look at it at age 65. There's actually two different pneumonia shots: there's the PCB thirteen and the TPSD twenty three and you actually want to get both of them, you will space them out a year apart. Now, for some adults, such as people with low immune systems from cancer or HIV, or people who smoke or have decreased lung function. They actually want to get another of the TPSD or Varivax shot between age 20 and 65 and then once they're 65, get another one. So, actually, they should be getting two of the new vaccines shot and then one of the Prevnar.
Bill: So, for shingles age 60 and pneumonia, you just gave us some guidelines there but mainly 65. What other immunizations are needed as an adult ages?
Dr. Adkins: For instance, you want to get your tetanus shot every ten years or so, and a lot of us have either kids or grandkids, so when you get the tetanus shot you have the option of getting either the tetanus shot which protects against tetanus and diphtheria or the Tdap shot which also protects against pertussis and whooping coughs. If you're going to be around small children, again, either your kids or grandkids you really want to get that whooping coughs protection. One, to protect yourself because whooping cough is not something you want to catch but, more importantly, to protect the infants who can't get that shot till they're a year old. So, if you're around a newborn or an infant, then unless you're not protected against pertussis then you can possibly catch it and spread it to them.
Bill: So, then tetanus every ten years and then, obviously, two different strains, one for diphtheria and one for pertussis. That makes total sense about the whooping cough, Dr. Adkins, not only you are protecting yourself but you are protecting against spreading it.
Dr. Adkins: Exactly. The other one is for the young adults and we try to give to them when they are still teens but also up until age 30 would be the HPV or human papillomavirus vaccine which protects against cervical cancer and anal cancer.
Bill: When should that shot be given for someone listening? What are the age ranges, again, for that?
Dr. Adkins: We try to give it to our teenagers and our pre-teens starting at age nine, but it's a fairly new vaccine so a lot of people didn't get it when they were nine to eighteen but we can give it up to age 27. And that's a series of three shots over the course of about six months.
Bill: If someone is 25 and listening and hasn't had that shot would you recommend they go and get that shot?
Dr. Adkins: I would.
Bill: Well, it just makes sense. If you have the opportunity still to get it, why wouldn't you? So, with these vaccines that we're talking about, the tetanus shot and the shingles and pneumonia shot, are there any side effects associated with these?
Dr. Adkins: The biggest side effects that any of these vaccines is going to be just local reaction. You are getting a shot; your arm is going to be a little sore. Sometimes you will run a low grade fever. Most of the vaccines are not actual virus or bacteria, they are just a component of the outer lining of the bacteria that's made, separate from the actual bacteria itself. So, you really can't catch pneumonia from pneumonia shots or HPV from HPV shots. Now, the shingles shot is a live attenuated vaccine, so you can occasionally get like a little blister at the injection site or like a small patch that looks like shingles but it's not a full blown case of the shingles. It's just one little vesicle.
Bill: So, the side effects would be minor at best at that point. How long does these vaccinations last? I know you said tetanus every ten years, so I imagine ten years efficacy in that. What about the other two that we were talking about, and the HPV as well?
Dr. Adkins: For HPV, again, we think its lifelong immunity but it's a fairly new vaccine, so they may come out and say we need a booster down the road but right now we believe it's lifelong. For shingles, it is one shot after age 60 and that's it. For pneumonia, it's usually just those two shots and once you’ve had those you're good. Again, if you're in one of the special group of smokers, immune compromised, who needs to get a pneumonia shot between age 20 and 65, we say get another one at 65 but, again, that would be it. There would not be a need for pneumonia booster after age 65.
Bill: As an adult ages, many times that person would be on other medications, too. If you are on medications can you still get immunized?
Dr. Adkins: You can. Again, you want to separate the two pneumonia shots by about a year and you want to separate the pneumonia and the shingles shot by six or eight weeks. Otherwise, unless you're undergoing active treatment for cancer that has your immune system suppressed, you can receive these vaccine.
Bill: What about insurance? Does insurance generally pay for these vaccinations?
Dr. Adkins: Generally, it does. Again, especially for over sixty five the vast majority are going to be on Medicare and it is covered.
Bill: Very good. What about people traveling outside of the country? Are there certain immunizations someone should get before they travel?
Dr. Adkins: There are and it depends on the country you're traveling to. You can go online on the CDC website and look for travel vaccinations or come in and see your family doctor and we can go through what the recommended vaccines are depending on what area you are traveling to.
Bill: Very good and, Dr. Adkins, if you could wrap it up for us, why should someone choose Tidelands for their immunization needs?
Dr. Adkins: The big advantage is we are going to provide a full service care. We're not just going to bring in and give pneumonia vaccines and here's your shingles vaccine. We're also going to treat your other medical conditions or general wellness and just have that continuity that you don't get if you just go to the health department or to the pharmacist to get the vaccines.
Bill: Well, that continuity of care and that coordination is so important in today's world. If someone is interested in getting vaccinated at Tidelands Health what should they do?
Dr. Adkins: We have several primary care offices. You can go to www.tidelandshealth.org to find the address and phone numbers and just call the office and make an appointment.
Bill: Dr. Adkins, thank you again for your time today. As Dr. Adkins says, for more information about Tidelands Health, Physicians, services and facilities visit www.tidelandshealth.org. That's www.tidelandshealth.org. This is Better Health Radio. I'm Bill Klaproth. Thanks for listening.
Adult Vaccination Recommendations
Bill Klaproth (Host): As vaccines are important for children, they are just as important for adults according to the CDC. Here to talk with us about adult immunization recommendations such as the pneumonia shot and the shingles vaccine is Dr. Grady Adkins of Tidelands Health. Dr. Adkins, thanks for your time. What are the main reasons an adult should get vaccinated?
Dr. Grady Adkins (Guest): Like you mentioned, we really push the vaccines in the children to help prevent disease and, for some of the vaccines, to prevent death. Then, you're still exposed to these as an adult and especially when you get to be a senior over age 65, your immunity wanes and you are more susceptible to illnesses. And so, it's important to either boost immunity to things you've been vaccinated for in the past or, in the case of shingles and pneumonia vaccines, it's possible that these vaccines you did not get when you were a child.
Bill: At what age you should start thinking about getting a shingles vaccine or the pneumonia shot?
Dr. Adkins: You want to think about getting the shingles vaccine starting at age 60 and its one shot. For the pneumonia shot for most adults you're going to look at it at age 65. There's actually two different pneumonia shots: there's the PCB thirteen and the TPSD twenty three and you actually want to get both of them, you will space them out a year apart. Now, for some adults, such as people with low immune systems from cancer or HIV, or people who smoke or have decreased lung function. They actually want to get another of the TPSD or Varivax shot between age 20 and 65 and then once they're 65, get another one. So, actually, they should be getting two of the new vaccines shot and then one of the Prevnar.
Bill: So, for shingles age 60 and pneumonia, you just gave us some guidelines there but mainly 65. What other immunizations are needed as an adult ages?
Dr. Adkins: For instance, you want to get your tetanus shot every ten years or so, and a lot of us have either kids or grandkids, so when you get the tetanus shot you have the option of getting either the tetanus shot which protects against tetanus and diphtheria or the Tdap shot which also protects against pertussis and whooping coughs. If you're going to be around small children, again, either your kids or grandkids you really want to get that whooping coughs protection. One, to protect yourself because whooping cough is not something you want to catch but, more importantly, to protect the infants who can't get that shot till they're a year old. So, if you're around a newborn or an infant, then unless you're not protected against pertussis then you can possibly catch it and spread it to them.
Bill: So, then tetanus every ten years and then, obviously, two different strains, one for diphtheria and one for pertussis. That makes total sense about the whooping cough, Dr. Adkins, not only you are protecting yourself but you are protecting against spreading it.
Dr. Adkins: Exactly. The other one is for the young adults and we try to give to them when they are still teens but also up until age 30 would be the HPV or human papillomavirus vaccine which protects against cervical cancer and anal cancer.
Bill: When should that shot be given for someone listening? What are the age ranges, again, for that?
Dr. Adkins: We try to give it to our teenagers and our pre-teens starting at age nine, but it's a fairly new vaccine so a lot of people didn't get it when they were nine to eighteen but we can give it up to age 27. And that's a series of three shots over the course of about six months.
Bill: If someone is 25 and listening and hasn't had that shot would you recommend they go and get that shot?
Dr. Adkins: I would.
Bill: Well, it just makes sense. If you have the opportunity still to get it, why wouldn't you? So, with these vaccines that we're talking about, the tetanus shot and the shingles and pneumonia shot, are there any side effects associated with these?
Dr. Adkins: The biggest side effects that any of these vaccines is going to be just local reaction. You are getting a shot; your arm is going to be a little sore. Sometimes you will run a low grade fever. Most of the vaccines are not actual virus or bacteria, they are just a component of the outer lining of the bacteria that's made, separate from the actual bacteria itself. So, you really can't catch pneumonia from pneumonia shots or HPV from HPV shots. Now, the shingles shot is a live attenuated vaccine, so you can occasionally get like a little blister at the injection site or like a small patch that looks like shingles but it's not a full blown case of the shingles. It's just one little vesicle.
Bill: So, the side effects would be minor at best at that point. How long does these vaccinations last? I know you said tetanus every ten years, so I imagine ten years efficacy in that. What about the other two that we were talking about, and the HPV as well?
Dr. Adkins: For HPV, again, we think its lifelong immunity but it's a fairly new vaccine, so they may come out and say we need a booster down the road but right now we believe it's lifelong. For shingles, it is one shot after age 60 and that's it. For pneumonia, it's usually just those two shots and once you’ve had those you're good. Again, if you're in one of the special group of smokers, immune compromised, who needs to get a pneumonia shot between age 20 and 65, we say get another one at 65 but, again, that would be it. There would not be a need for pneumonia booster after age 65.
Bill: As an adult ages, many times that person would be on other medications, too. If you are on medications can you still get immunized?
Dr. Adkins: You can. Again, you want to separate the two pneumonia shots by about a year and you want to separate the pneumonia and the shingles shot by six or eight weeks. Otherwise, unless you're undergoing active treatment for cancer that has your immune system suppressed, you can receive these vaccine.
Bill: What about insurance? Does insurance generally pay for these vaccinations?
Dr. Adkins: Generally, it does. Again, especially for over sixty five the vast majority are going to be on Medicare and it is covered.
Bill: Very good. What about people traveling outside of the country? Are there certain immunizations someone should get before they travel?
Dr. Adkins: There are and it depends on the country you're traveling to. You can go online on the CDC website and look for travel vaccinations or come in and see your family doctor and we can go through what the recommended vaccines are depending on what area you are traveling to.
Bill: Very good and, Dr. Adkins, if you could wrap it up for us, why should someone choose Tidelands for their immunization needs?
Dr. Adkins: The big advantage is we are going to provide a full service care. We're not just going to bring in and give pneumonia vaccines and here's your shingles vaccine. We're also going to treat your other medical conditions or general wellness and just have that continuity that you don't get if you just go to the health department or to the pharmacist to get the vaccines.
Bill: Well, that continuity of care and that coordination is so important in today's world. If someone is interested in getting vaccinated at Tidelands Health what should they do?
Dr. Adkins: We have several primary care offices. You can go to www.tidelandshealth.org to find the address and phone numbers and just call the office and make an appointment.
Bill: Dr. Adkins, thank you again for your time today. As Dr. Adkins says, for more information about Tidelands Health, Physicians, services and facilities visit www.tidelandshealth.org. That's www.tidelandshealth.org. This is Better Health Radio. I'm Bill Klaproth. Thanks for listening.