How Staying Up to Date on Immunizations Benefits Your Health

When we keep up to date with our health, we can enjoy life with more confidence. This includes your immunizations that can help prevent a wide range of potentially serious illnesses, including the flu, COVID, pneumonia, meningitis and more.

Most likely, seeing your doctor for your yearly checkup will ensure that you’re up to date on all immunizations and health screenings.

Immunizations Protect Your Health and Your Life

Immunizations protect you from potentially serious illnesses from infancy on, including:

• Influenza
• COVID-19
• Chickenpox
• Diphtheria
• HPV (which can cause future cancer)
• Tetanus
• Measles, mumps and pertussis or “whooping cough”
• Meningitis (meningococcal disease)
• Pneumonia
• Polio
• Shingles

Children need to receive a number of immunizations as they grow, from infancy on up through age 18. Your doctor or provider will have this schedule in their medical record.

Getting Shots: Not Just for Kids

Adults also have a shot schedule that should remain up to date. For some, it might mean a booster or getting caught up on something you did not have as a child, such as chickenpox.

The shingles vaccination is recommended for adults 50 and older – and it’s usually covered as part of most health insurance plans.

Flu shots are something the whole family needs, and fall is the best time to get them. Each year, the virus that leads to influenza changes, and so too do the vaccines. Getting one every year is a proven way to avoid an illness that remains a serious health threat across the country.

Most years, flu causes around 50,000 deaths in the United States.

The COVID-19 vaccination is now available to all age groups as young as 6 months. Being up to date with your COVID vaccination means getting the initial vaccine series plus any boosters for your age range and risk factors.

You can keep track of needed immunizations for you and your children through health portals such as AveraChart.

Know the Facts on Diseases and How to Stop Them

Remember the facts as you consider making an appointment. These facts include:

• Most immunizations are covered by health insurance plans as an essential health benefit.
• Some diseases such polio and rubella are now rare, but it’s still important to continue immunizing until they are completely eliminated.
• Vaccines keep you and your loved ones healthy so everyone can do the things they love.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) take many steps to make sure that vaccinations are safe and effective.

Stay Up to Date on Immunizations

Check your AveraChart to see what immunizations you need.

Schedule with your primary care provider.