Are Your Vaccinations Up To Date?

When was the last time you heard of someone having polio or tetanus? The odds are good that you haven’t, and that’s largely due to vaccination efforts in the United States, which protect against some very serious diseases.

As the recent global pandemic showed, vaccinations can save lives, so stay one step ahead of your family’s health through regular vaccinations.

To help, our team of experienced health care providers here at LaSante Health Center wants to review vaccine schedules for your entire family, from the newest members to the most senior.

Childhood vaccines

From the moment a child enters the world, they’re bombarded with viruses and bacteria that can lead to sickness. While their immune systems build naturally, you can provide them with much greater protection through early vaccination.

Childhood vaccines protect against 15 diseases, including:

• Polio
• Tetanus
• Hepatitis A and B
• Whooping cough
• Diphtheria
• Rubella
• Hib
• Measles
• Pneumococcal disease
• Rotavirus
• Mumps
• Chickenpox
• Flu
• COVID-19

Through our pediatric services, we deliver these vaccines, often in combination, as soon as one month and on through the age of 6. Many of these vaccines are one-time immunizations, while others require boosters or annual shots (such as the flu shot). 

Rest assured, we keep track of the vaccine schedule so your child has the best protection. As your child grows older — at about age 11 or 12 — you may want to consider adding the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.

Vaccinations for adults

We strongly urge adults to continue to vaccinate against the flu each year. The influenza virus mutates and changes each year, and the vaccines are designed to protect against the strain that will most likely have an effect. 

In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that getting a flu shot reduces your risk of getting the flu by up to 40-60%.

Now that COVID seems to be here to stay, we also recommend annual vaccination against this disease.

Outside of the flu and COVID, adults over the age of 50 should vaccinate against shingles. And we want to ensure that your protection against tetanus is up to date, so we also recommend getting a Td booster shot every 10 years, which protects against diphtheria, as well as tetanus.

If you were born after 1957, an MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine is also a good idea.

Lastly, if you’re over the age of 65 or you have certain health conditions, such as heart disease, we recommend that you get vaccinated against pneumococcal disease.

We understand that organizing vaccinations for your family can be confusing, and we’re here to help. To get started on your family’s protection, contact our Brooklyn, New York, clinic. We serve the Flatbush and East Flatbush, Crown Heights, Park Slope, Little Haiti, Little Caribbean, and Prospect Lefferts Gardens communities.