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continued:
Vaccines for adults: Which do you need?
Measles, mumps and rubella
Measles, mumps and rubella are viral infections. Measles, also called rubeola, causes a red, blotchy skin rash. Complications can include ear infection, pneumonia and inflammation of the brain (encephalitis). Mumps causes swelling in the salivary glands, located below and in front of your ears. Rubella, also called German measles, causes a distinctive red rash. Rubella is most serious if it develops during pregnancy.
Get the combined measles- mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine if you were born during or after 1957 and didn't have the vaccine as a child or adolescent. You may need an additional dose if you're a health care worker, you travel internationally, you're a college student or you had a rubella blood test that shows no immunity.
Don't get the MMR vaccine if you had a severe allergic reaction to a previous dose, to gelatin or the antibiotic neomycin. You also shouldn't get the vaccine if you're pregnant, have a weakened immune system or recently had a blood transfusion. Delay getting the vaccine if you're currently ill.
Human papillomavirus
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common sexually transmitted infection. Most people who have HPV don't develop symptoms. For some people, however, HPV infection can lead to genital warts and some types of cancer.
Get the HPV vaccine if:
- You're a woman age 26 or younger and didn't have the vaccine as an adolescent
- You're a man age 21 or younger and didn't have the vaccine as an adolescent — although men can get the vaccine through age 26, if desired
Don't get the HPV vaccine if you had a severe allergic reaction to a previous dose, or to yeast or latex, or you're pregnant. Delay getting the vaccine if you're currently ill.
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A is a potentially serious liver infection.
Get the hepatitis A vaccine if:
- You want to protect yourself from hepatitis A
- You have a clotting-factor disorder or chronic liver disease
- You're a man who has sex with men
- You inject illicit drugs
- You're a health care worker who might be exposed to hepatitis A in a lab setting
- You travel to or work in areas where hepatitis A is common
Don't get the hepatitis A vaccine if you had a severe reaction to a previous dose or you have a severe allergy to latex. Delay getting the vaccine if you're currently ill.
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is another type of liver infection. For some people, hepatitis B becomes chronic - leading to long-term liver problems.
Get the hepatitis B vaccine if:
- You want to protect yourself from hepatitis B
- You're sexually active but not in a mutually monogamous relationship
- You're a man who has sex with men
- You have close contact or sex with a person infected with hepatitis B
- You inject illicit drugs
- You're receiving hemodialysis
- You're a health care or public safety worker who might be exposed to infected blood or body fluids
- You travel to or work in areas where hepatitis B is common
- You're age 59 or younger and have type 1 or type 2 diabetes
If you're age 60 or older and have diabetes, ask your doctor if the hepatitis B vaccine is right for you.
Don't get the hepatitis B vaccine if you had a severe reaction to a previous dose or you have a severe allergy to yeast. Delay getting the vaccine if you're currently ill.
Zoster
Zoster, also called herpes zoster or shingles, is caused by the varicella-zoster virus — the same virus that causes chickenpox. Anyone who has had chickenpox might develop zoster and its painful, itchy rash.
Get the zoster vaccine if you're age 60 or older.
Don't get the zoster vaccine if you had a severe allergic reaction to gelatin, the antibiotic neomycin or any component of the vaccine. Also don't get the vaccine if you have a weakened immune system. Delay getting the vaccine if you're currently ill.
Haemophilus influenzae type b
Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) is a bacterium that causes potentially serious infections, including pneumonia, meningitis and swelling of the piece of cartilage that covers the windpipe (epiglottitis).
Get the Hib vaccine if:
- You have health conditions, such as sickle cell disease, leukemia or HIV
- You've had your spleen removed
Don't get the Hib vaccine if you had a severe reaction to a previous dose. Delay getting the vaccine if you're currently ill.
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- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) Recommended Immunization Schedules for Persons Aged 0 Through 18 years and Adults Aged 19 Years and Older — United States, 2013. MMWR. 2013;62:1. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm62e0128a1.htm. Accessed Jan. 29, 2013.
- Key facts about influenza (flu) and flu vaccine. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/keyfacts.htm. Accessed Jan. 30, 2013.
- Vaccines and preventable diseases: Who should not get vaccinated with these vaccines? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/should-not-vacc.htm. Accessed Jan. 30, 2013.
- Pneumococcal disease in-short. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/pneumo/in-short-both.htm. Accessed Jan. 30, 2013.
- Tetanus: Symptoms and complications. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/tetanus/about/symptoms-complications.html Accessed Jan. 30, 2013.
- Diphtheria in-short. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/diphtheria/in-short-both.htm. Accessed Jan. 30, 2013.
- Pertussis (whooping cough) — What you need to know. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/Features/Pertussis. Accessed Jan. 30, 2013.
- Meningococcal disease: Signs and symptoms. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/meningococcal/about/symptoms.html. Accessed Jan. 30, 2013.
- Chickenpox (varicella): Complications. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/chickenpox/about/complications.html. Accessed Jan. 30, 2013.
- Overview of measles disease. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/overview.html. Accessed Jan. 30, 2013.
- Complications of mumps. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/mumps/about/complications.html. Accessed Jan. 30, 2013.
- Rubella disease in-short (German measles). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/rubella/in-short-adult.htm. Accessed Jan. 30, 2013.
- Genital HPV infection — Fact sheet. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/std/HPV/STDFact-HPV.htm. Accessed Jan. 30, 2013.
- Hepatitis B FAQs for the public. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/B/bFAQ.htm. Accessed Jan. 30, 2013.
- Shingles (herpes zoster): Clinical overview. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/shingles/hcp/clinical-overview.html. Accessed Jan. 30, 2013.
- Types of infection Haemophilus influenzae can cause. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/hi-disease/about/types-infection.html. Accessed Jan. 30, 2013.
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