Archive for April, 2010
When should I get vaccinated?
October or November is the best time to get vaccinated, but you can still get vaccinated in December and later. Influenza season can begin as early as October and last as late as May.
- All the viruses in the vaccine are killed so they cannot infect anyone.
- The vaccine will begin to provide protective effects after one to two weeks, but will not protect all persons inoculated from the flu. About 70 to go percent of healthy people who get the flu vaccine are completely protected against the flu. The other 10 to 30 percent have greatly lessened symptoms of the flu if they contract it.
Adult Immunization Programs
Adult Immunization Programs in Nontraditional Settings: Quality Standards and Guidance for Program Evaluation
BACKGROUND
Approximately 45,000 adults in the United States die annually of complications from influenza, pneumococcal infections, and hepatitis B — the primary vaccine-preventable diseases affecting adults. The total economic cost of treating these vaccine-preventable diseases among adults, excluding the value of years of life lost, exceeds $10 billion each year. Although effective vaccines to prevent these diseases are available, they are widely underutilized (1,2). This under utilization reflects a lack of emphasis on vaccines for adults in comparison with the more substantial emphasis on vaccines for children.