Awareness for Adult Immunizations
Vaccines can play a vital role in preventing serious diseases. While many of us think of infants and children when we hear about vaccinations, it’s also critical to remember that immunization is important at every age.
According to HHS.gov and the National Vaccine Program Office, our national adult vaccination rates remain low, leaving millions of adults susceptive to vaccine preventable diseases and their potentially severe consequences.
August is designated by The National Public Health Information Coalition as National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM), which raises awareness about the significance of vaccination for people in each stage of life. Data shows that thousands of adults needlessly suffer, are hospitalized, and even die each year as a result of diseases that could be prevented by vaccines.
Depending on your age and health condition, there are various options to improve your health with timely vaccination:
-ADULTS: Adults are encouraged to ask their doctors about immunizations to protect against the dreaded flu, travel-related illnesses, as well as diseases like shingles, pertussis, and hepatitis.
-PREGNANT WOMEN: Pregnant women must understand the importance of getting vaccinated to protect newborns from diseases like whooping cough (pertussis) and flu.
-ADULTS WITH CHRONIC CONDITIONS & SENIORS: It’s vital for patients with chronic health conditions like Asthma, Diabetes, COPD, and Heart Disease to be up-to-date on recommended vaccinations, as they are at increased risk for complications from certain vaccine-preventable diseases.
The Centers for Disease Control web pages specifically offer helpful details about vaccine schedules (http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/index.html). Individuals are encouraged to consult with a medical provider for making informed decisions about your personal healthcare plan, vaccinations, and screening schedule.
Medical providers across the U.S. generally encourage patients to achieve prevention of infectious diseases and chronic conditions through preventative care, vaccination, and regular screenings. With prevention as a high priority, onsite health and wellness centers are uniquely providing easy access for patients to free primary and preventive screenings, thus, helping adults maintain optimal health. Crowne Consulting Group, for example, operates onsite and near-site health centers for self-funded employers with plan members including employees, dependents, and retirees. Worksite health and wellness centers offer primary care, x-rays, prescriptions, and medical screenings near the worksite for plan members.
Making preventive care easier to access and more affordable for the patients has resulted in cost-savings for employers and employees. For information about Crowne Consulting Group, call 407.654.5414 and ask about Crowne’s years of expertise in serving school boards, city and county government, sheriff offices, as well as private organizations.