rubella or to chickenpox you should get immunized. If you are pregnant currently, discuss immunizations with your doctor. Most physicians prefer to wait until after the baby is born to give the vaccinations.

If you get these diseases while you are pregnant, they can harm your baby. Immunizations are part of pre-pregnancy health care.

Special Circumstances There are severa

You may think only kids need immunizations, or perhaps world travelers, but you may need to get immunized against certain diseases, too. Here’s the low-down on immunizations that women need.

Missed Childhood Immunizations If you missed getting routine childhood immunizations, you should get some of them. Children normally get several doses of DTaP, the immunization against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. You need one. Then you need immunization against diphtheria and tetanus every ten years.

Adults don’t need polio vaccine unless they are traveling to places where there are polio outbreaks.

People are no longer immunized against smallpox unless they are military or other personnel assigned to areas where smallpox might be used as a biological weapon.

Young children are immunized against HIB (Haemophilus Influenza Type B), but you don’t need it unless your immune system is compromised.

College College freshmen who live in dormitories should be immunized against meningitis. They may also need to be vaccinated for measles and/or chickenpox, depending on their immunity status. It is recommended that college-age women get vaccinated against HPV if they have not already done so.

Routine Adult Immunizations Adults routinely need a tetanus shot (with diphtheria) every ten years or so.

It is now recommended that women under the age of 26 get immunized against HPV (human papilloma virus).

Before Pregnancy If you plan to get pregnant, and you do not have immunity to measles, mumps and rubella or to chickenpox you should get immunized. If you are pregnant currently, discuss immunizations with your doctor. Most physicians prefer to wait until after the baby is born to give the vaccinations.

If you get these diseases while you are pregnant, they can harm your baby. Immunizations are part of pre-pregnancy health care.

Special Circumstances There are several

heria, tetanus and pertussis. You need one. Then you need immunization against diphtheria and tetanus every ten years.

Adults don’t need polio vaccine unless they are traveling to places where there are polio outbreaks.

People are no longer immunized against smallpox unless they are military or other personnel assigned to areas where smallpox might be used as a biological weapon.

Young children are immunized against HIB (Haemophilus Influenza Type B), but you don’t need it unless your immune system is compromised.

College College freshmen who live in dormitories should be immunized against meningitis. They may also need to be vaccinated for measles and/or chickenpox, depending on their immunity status. It is recommended that college-age women get vaccinated against HPV if they have not already done so.

Routine Adult Immunizations Adults routinely need a tetanus shot (with diphtheria) every ten years or so.

It is now recommended that women under the age of 26 get immunized against HPV (human papilloma virus).

Before Pregnancy If you plan to get pregnant, and you do not have immunity to measles, mumps and rubella or to chickenpox you should get immunized. If you are pregnant currently, discuss immunizations with your doctor. Most physicians prefer to wait until after the baby is born to give the vaccinations.

If you get these diseases while you are pregnant, they can harm your baby. Immunizations are part of pre-pregnancy health care.

Special Circumstances There are severa

eapon.

Young children are immunized against HIB (Haemophilus Influenza Type B), but you don’t need it unless your immune system is compromised.

College College freshmen who live in dormitories should be immunized against meningitis. They may also need to be vaccinated for measles and/or chickenpox, depending on their immunity status. It is recommended that college-age women get vaccinated against HPV if they have not already done so.

Routine Adult Immunizations Adults routinely need a tetanus shot (with diphtheria) every ten years or so.

It is now recommended that women under the age of 26 get immunized against HPV (human papilloma virus).

Before Pregnancy If you plan to get pregnant, and you do not have immunity to measles, mumps and rubella or to chickenpox you should get immunized. If you are pregnant currently, discuss immunizations with your doctor. Most physicians prefer to wait until after the baby is born to give the vaccinations.

If you get these diseases while you are pregnant, they can harm your baby. Immunizations are part of pre-pregnancy health care.

Special Circumstances There are severa

n get vaccinated against HPV if they have not already done so.

Routine Adult Immunizations Adults routinely need a tetanus shot (with diphtheria) every ten years or so.

It is now recommended that women under the age of 26 get immunized against HPV (human papilloma virus).

Before Pregnancy If you plan to get pregnant, and you do not have immunity to measles, mumps and rubella or to chickenpox you should get immunized. If you are pregnant currently, discuss immunizations with your doctor. Most physicians prefer to wait until after the baby is born to give the vaccinations.

If you get these diseases while you are pregnant, they can harm your baby. Immunizations are part of pre-pregnancy health care.

Special Circumstances There are severa

rubella or to chickenpox you should get immunized. If you are pregnant currently, discuss immunizations with your doctor. Most physicians prefer to wait until after the baby is born to give the vaccinations.

If you get these diseases while you are pregnant, they can harm your baby. Immunizations are part of pre-pregnancy health care.

Special Circumstances There are several immunizations that you may want to get, but do not necessarily need unless you are at high risk for getting those diseases. The most common ones are:

Hepatitis A—you should get this if you are traveling internationally or could be exposed to the disease.

Hepatitis B—people who engage in risky sexual behavior, use IV drugs, have immune system problems or work with high risk people should get this one.

Pneumonia—if you have certain health problems you should have one or two doses of pneumonia vaccine.

If you have health problems or work with people who are at risk for spreading influenza, you should have a flu shot every year.

Older Women If you are over 50, you need a flu shot every year. After age 65 you should be vaccinated against pneumonia if you haven’t been already. You may also want to be vaccinated against shingles. Continue to get a tetanus shot every ten years or so, too.

Immunization protects you from diseases that can have devastating effects. Discuss your immunization status with your physician and get the shots you need in order to stay healthy.