Thanks to childhood vaccinations, 14 million cases of disease are prevented every year in the United States. While this is good
news for our youth, research suggests that Americans do a poor job of building and maintaining their immunity through adulthood.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), here are three important reasons for adults to get vaccinated:
1. You may be at risk for serious diseases that are still common in the U.S.
Thousands of adults in the United States get sick every year from diseases that could be prevented by vaccines. It’s particularly important for adults with chronic health conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease, to stay up-to-date on recommended
vaccinations because they are at increased risk for complications from certain vaccine-preventable diseases.
2. When you get sick, recovery is often slow and takes time.
Even healthy people can get sick enough to miss work or school. Getting sick from a vaccine-preventable disease means you may not be able to do your everyday activities, like attend a friend’s birthday party, study for a test, or cheer on your child
at a game or recital.
3. Getting vaccinated helps you to prevent spreading disease to the people around you, like your family, friends and co-workers.
Vaccines lower your chance of getting sick and of spreading certain diseases. Keeping up with your recommended vaccine schedule is one of the safest ways to protect your health and the health of those around you.
Contact your primary care physician’s office to see if you are due for any recommended vaccines. We recommend downloading our preventive care checklists to find out which vaccines are recommended for
you. For detailed resources about immunizations, the CDC provides easy-to-read immunization schedules, recommendations for travelers and more.