Immunizations

From children to senior citizens, timely immunizations are one of the most important ways to protect yourself and others from serious diseases. Vaccines are among the twentieth century's most successful and cost-effective public health tools for preventing disease and death. Today, there are few visible reminders of the suffering, injuries, and premature deaths caused by diseases that are now preventable with vaccines. Thanks to immunization, diseases that were once commonplace are now only distant memories for most Americans. Vaccines are now available to protect children and adults against life-threatening or debilitating disease including diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, measles, chickenpox, rubella, mumps, polio, hemophilus influenza type b, influenza, pneumococcal infection and hepatitis B, among others.

Immunizations are not just kid's stuff either. As an adult, you need to be protected against such preventable diseases as measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, diphtheria, pneumococcal disease, influenza and hepatitis B. Your best protection against these diseases is immunizations. College students also need immunizations against measles and meningococcal disease. Talk with your physician and review the recommendations posted here.

New York State Recommended Childhood Immunization Schedule

New York State Department of Health Adult Immunization Schedule

For current Guidelines on Adult Immunizations, visit this website.

Vaccines

GET VACCINATED AND DON’T LET POOR PLANNING PUT THE SQUEEZE ON YOUR TRAVEL TIME! When planning a trip, the last thing you want to think about is illness. As the old adage goes: the best defense is a good offense. That holds true for international travelers. Immunization is designed to protect you from serious diseases, many of which can be life-threatening. When should I be immunized? It’s important to visit your health care professional as soon as you know your destination and itinerary as some immunizations can take up to eight weeks to complete. What immunizations do I need? There are three types of immunizations: routine, required and recommended.

• ROUTINE: All adults should update these routine immunizations every 10 years: Tetanus and Diptheria.
• REQUIRED: Proof of immunization is required to enter some countries: Yellow fever.
• RECOMMENDED: If you are traveling for an extended period of time, these are of particular importance. Speak with your health care professional who may recommend one or more of the following immunizations: Polio, Hepatitis A, Influenza, Typhoid, Hepatitis B, Meningococcal, Pneumococcal, Rabies and Japanese Encephalitis. All of the above mentioned vaccinations can be obtained by prescription at Rensselaer County Department of Health. Also available are: Lymerix, Varicella (chickenpox), Immune Globulin, and MMR (measles-mumps-rubella).

Facts about immunization - for more information on available vaccinations call: rensselaer county department of health (518) 270-2655