Primary Care: Vaccines

A vaccine provides immunity to a disease, typically by containing ingredients that resemble a disease-causing microorganism. A vaccine is made of small amounts of weak or dead germs that cause the disease being vaccinated against, which stimulates your body to recognize the germs as foreign. This allows the immune system to recognize and destroy these microorganisms later. Seeing Local Family Physician  can often be beneficial in this information.

Types of Adult Vaccinations

Adult immunization rates are actually under-immunized and under-utilized. Some of the diseases that doctors vaccinate against have no cure or treatment, so it’s important to keep adult immunizations up to date. Examples of vaccinations that adults may need include:

• Hepatitis B (adults at risk or who have diabetes) 
• Pneumococcal (adults at risk over age 65). Pneumococcal pneumonia is a bacterial infection, and very similarly to a cough, cold or flu, it can be spread via airborne droplets when someone coughs or sneezes. If you have a pneumococcal infection, invasive pneumococcal disease is a concern, which occurs when the infection goes into your bloodstream and causes a bacteremia or bloodborne infection. It can even enter the nervous system and cause meningitis. 
• Seasonal influenza (flu) 
• Shingles (healthy adults over 50) 
• Tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough) and diphtheria if you haven’t received a Tdap vaccine 

There are other vaccines that your primary healthcare provider may recommend depending on your age, sex, risk factors and current health. These include HPV (human papillomavirus), chickenpox (varicella), measles and mumps.  Seeing Local Family Physician  can often be beneficial in this information.

Children's Vaccinations

Between birth and 6 years of age, infants and children need vaccines that protect them against different diseases. It’s important to bring your child’s immunization record with you to each appointment.

Some of the vaccines your child may receive are:

• Chickenpox (varicella) 
• Diphtheria 
• Hepatitis B 
• Measles 
• Meningococcal 
• Mumps 
• Pertussis (whooping cough) 
• Pneumococcal 
• Polio 
• Rubella 

If you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, it’s important to make sure your immunizations are up-to-date. If you’re travelling outside Canada, you may need travel vaccines against certain illnesses. Seeing Local Family Physician  can often be beneficial in this information.

Talk to your family physician if you'd like more information on adult vaccinations.

Visit HealthChoicesFirst.com for more videos and resources on family health.

Print this Action Plan and check off items that you want to discuss with your healthcare provider

• Adult immunization rates are actually under-immunized and under-utilized. Some of the diseases that doctors vaccinate against have no cure or treatment, so it’s important to keep adult immunizations up to date.

• Examples of vaccinations that adults may need include hepatitis B, flu, shingles, tetanus, pertussis and diphtheria.

• The pneumococcal vaccine is important for at-risk adults. Pneumococcal pneumonia is a bacterial infection, and very similarly to a cough, cold or flu, it can be spread via airborne droplets when someone coughs or sneezes.

• There are other vaccines that your primary healthcare provider may recommend depending on your age, sex, risk factors and current health. These include HPV (human papillomavirus), chickenpox (varicella), measles and mumps.

• If you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, it’s important to make sure your immunizations are up-to-date. If you’re travelling outside Canada, you may need travel vaccines against certain illnesses.

Adherence:
Adhering to your medications, prescribed exercises or lifestyle changes (such as dietary changes, smoking cessation, reduced alcohol consumption, etc.) is essential to improving health outcomes successfully. Compliance to any prescribed treatment is the number one thing you can do to ensure positive changes and optimal treatment outcomes.  Seeing Local Family Physician  can often be beneficial in this information.

A vaccine is a substance containing a harmless form of the germs that cause a particular disease. It is given to people, usually by injection, to prevent them getting that disease. Children are vaccinated against a variety of diseases as babies, such as mumps, measles, rubella and polio.