As part of National Immunization Awareness Month, the CDC is encouraging communities to plan local health screenings or fairs as well as media events and other related efforts at immunization outreach.
Immunization is one of the most significant public health advances of the modern age. With vaccines, we have managed to eradicate smallpox. Wild polio virus was a significant threat back when today’s elderly were children and it has now been eliminated in the USA. The incidence of other diseases such as measles, diphtheria, rubella, pertussis and other diseases has been drastically reduced.
Despite the best efforts of modern medicine, there are still people in the U.S. who succumb to vaccine-preventable diseases.
Today’s vaccines represent safe and effective protection from infectious diseases. Individuals should keep up-to-date on the recommended vaccines so that they can protect themselves, their loved ones and their communities from serious and life-threatening diseases.
Shingles is a disease that can be life threatening to elderly patients. A vaccine for this disease is now available to those over 60, but relatively few people are getting this vaccine. This is partly because of its recent approval and partly because many people are unaware of the potential severity of the disease.
Information about the shingles vaccine (pdf)
For more information on home health care contact Oxford Healthcare.