August is National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM), and it’s a great time to make sure everyone in your family is up-to-date on their vaccines. Although many people think about children when they think about vaccines, getting vaccinated and staying current with your vaccines is important for people of all ages. That includes getting the seasonal influenza (flu) vaccine, too, and August is a good time to think ahead and make a plan for when members of your family can receive this important annual vaccine.
Our clinicians at Harvard Vanguard believe very strongly in the need for vaccines and educating our patients and families about how important vaccines are to prevent harmful diseases. Here are some of the vaccine-related topics they have written about:
- Vaccine Safety for Children: Dr. Jasmin Bhathena, a pediatrician at our Peabody/Lynnfield practice, addresses many of the common fears and misperceptions our pediatricians hear from families about vaccine safety for children. Dr. Bhathena uses evidence-based medical information to dispel some of the misinformation about vaccines that is widely accessible online and concerning to families.
- All About the Flu: A pediatrician and Chief of our Infectious Disease and Travel Medicine departments, Dr. Benjamin Kruskal has provided a number of articles on our blog and our website about the influenza (flu) illness, who’s at high risk, vaccine safety, frequently-asked questions about receiving the vaccine, and some prevention tips and other resources. This section of our website is also where we provide information for our patients about the flu clinics we will hold, typically beginning in October, and the types of flu vaccine we can offer. We haven’t yet posted the schedule for 2014-15 yet, so please check back in the next few weeks!
- The Shingles Vaccine: In addition to keeping other vaccines current, adults who are 60 years or older and who had chickenpox should speak with their clinician and consider getting the shingles vaccine. Dr. Elisa Choi, internist at our Kenmore practice, has provided a good overview of what shingles is, who is at risk, and answers to questions about whether getting the vaccine may be right for you.
- Travel Medicine: Often, we think about vaccines in terms of those routine boosters and annual flu vaccines, but if you’re planning to travel overseas, you may also need special vaccines to protect you from diseases that you could encounter during your travels to specific areas of the world. At Harvard Vanguard, we have travel medicine clinicians available at 13 of our practice sites to review your travel plans and recommend vaccines and other tips to keep you safe. Dr. Ben Kruskal reviews the travel medicine services we offer in this blog post.
For additional information from vaccines.gov about vaccines that people need throughout their lives, check out the links below:
- Parents can protect infants and children from 14 serious childhood diseases by age 2. Learn more about immunizations for infants and children.
- Preteens and teens need vaccines too! Getting adolescents vaccinated will also protect their friends and their family members. Find out about the vaccines preteens and teens need.
- Adults: not sure if your immunization schedule is up-to date? Take this online quiz to see which vaccines you need.
- Seniors may need one or more vaccines, even if they received vaccines as a child or as a younger adult. Find more information about vaccines for seniors here.