Daily HealthBeat Tip - February 06, 2008

Vaccinations for grown-ups

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Just because you’re a grown-up doesn’t mean you’ve had all your shots. People might think of vaccinations as something kids get, but doctors know adults need them, too. And too few adults get them.

So the nonprofit National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is encouraging adults to bring their protections up to date. The CDC’s Dr. Anne Schuchat:

``It’s a really exciting time for adults right now. We have more tools for more people to protect against a broader range of conditions.’’ (7 seconds)

For instance, the CDC says only about 2 percent of adults have their tetanus-diphtheria-whooping cough vaccination. Less than 2 percent of people ages 60 and older are vaccinated against shingles.  And there’s still plenty of flu season left, if you haven’t gotten your influenza vaccination.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: February, 05 2008