Vaccinations

What are vaccinations?

Vaccinations are injections that prevent contagious diseases and illnesses. Many diseases and illnesses can have severe or even life-threatening effects but are preventable with vaccinations.

For this reason, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends vaccinations for all people, starting in infancy.

What do vaccinations contain?

Vaccinations contain minuscule amounts of a given pathogen. Because each illness or disease comes from different germs, every vaccination functions a little differently. Your vaccine may include a dead or significantly weakened part of the virus, or molecules called spike proteins.

When your immune system recognizes the foreign germs, it immediately starts producing antibodies that can protect you from future contact with the virus. These antibodies give you a better chance to fight off the disease or significantly lessen the severity of the disease.

What vaccinations do I need?

There are dozens of different vaccinations, and the ones you need can depend on a few factors, including your age, occupation, travel plans, and specific health needs.

Some of the many vaccinations you could need at some point include:

• Influenza (flu)
• COVID-19
• Chickenpox
• Polio
• Tetanus
• Rotavirus
• Measles, mumps, and rubella
• Diphtheria
• Pertussis (whooping cough)
• Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)
• Hepatitis A and B
• Human papillomavirus (HPV)
• Shingles

Most people have the majority of their vaccinations as a baby and toddler. However, you may need catch-up vaccinations if you didn’t have all of the vaccinations you needed earlier in life.

At a few points after your earlier years, such as early adolescence, early adulthood, and later adulthood, you may need vaccinations as well.

You need some vaccinations, like the flu vaccination, annually. Each year’s flu vaccination is different because it’s targeted to the specific strains of flu deemed most likely to cause illness at that time.

If you or someone in your family needs routine, catch-up, or international travel vaccinations, the Prestige Clinicians LLC team can review your medical records and current health needs to create the ideal vaccination schedule.

Vaccinations at Prestige Clinicians LLC take just a few moments of your time and give you the maximum disease and illness prevention possible. To schedule vaccinations, call the office, or click on the online appointment maker now.