Why Treat It,
When You Can Prevent It?

Adults too need vaccination – Because prevention is better than cure even for adults!

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What is Adult Vaccination?

At Continental Hospitals we are committed to comprehensive preventive healthcare and our dedicated adult vaccination centre is a testimony of our focus on prevention. Vaccinations can save thousands of lives that are lost to vaccine-preventable infectious diseases. There is widespread misconception that vaccines are only associated with children, however, vaccines are largely underused in adults due to lack of awareness, sometimes access and availability.

Vaccines offer a definitive and proven defence mechanism against a wide range of diseases, most of which can prove either deadly or cause permanent morbidity to the individual. They are your first line of defence for people of all ages and across a wide spectrum of diseases. This is accomplished by building the body's natural immunity against some of the deadliest diseases, with herd immunity taking over once a certain critical mass of the population is immunized - thereby preventing mass infections & casualties.

Adults too need vaccination

Vaccines are often associated with childhood, and adult vaccinations are largely ignored leaving us at the risk of developing several preventable diseases and infections. This is largely underused in adults due to lack of awareness, sometimes access and availability.

Types of Adult Vaccinations

  • Chicken Pox Vaccination

    Chickenpox is a highly contagious disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV). It causes an itchy, blister-like rash. The rash appears first on the chest, back, and face, and then spreads over the entire body.

  • Vaccinate adults who have a specific risk factor (see below), or lack a risk factor but want protection, with a 2-dose series of single-antigen hepatitis A vaccine (HepA; at 0 and 6–12 months or at 0 and 6–18 months; minimum interval 6 months) or a 3-dose series of combined hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccine at 0, 1, and 6 months; minimum intervals: 4 weeks between the first and second doses, 5 months between the second and third doses.

  • Vaccinate adults who have a specific risk factor (see below), or lack a risk factor but are requesting protection. Schedule: 3-dose series of single-antigen hepatitis B vaccine (HepB) or combined hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccine (HepA-HepB) at 0, 1, and 6 months (minimum intervals: 4 weeks between doses 1 and 2 for HepB and HepA-HepB; between doses 2 and 3, 8 weeks for HepB and 5 months for HepA-HepB).

  • Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination is recommended at age 11 or 12. Give HPV vaccine to females through age 26 and males through age 21, and for immunocompromised persons (including those with HIV infection) not adequately vaccinated previously, in whom vaccination is recommended through age 26.

    The number of doses of HPV vaccine to be given depends on age at initial HPV vaccination. For age over 15, if the patient has never received HPV vaccine, give a 3-dose series at 0, 1–2, and 6 months, with at least 4 weeks between first and 2nd dose, 12 weeks between second and third dose and 5 months between first and third dose. If initiating vaccination before age 15, 2 doses of HPV vaccine are recommended, given at intervals 0 and 6 to 12 months.

  • In the absence contraindications, routine annual immunization with age-appropriate influenza vaccination is recommended. This includes pregnant women and adults with hives- only egg allergy. In adults with egg allergy other than hives (eg, angioedema or respiratory distress), administer inactivated influenza vaccine or recombinant influenza vaccine in a medical setting under supervision of a health care provider who can recognize and manage severe allergic conditions.

  • Adults who have not already received a dose of tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap) as an adult or child (routinely recommended at age 11–12 years) should get 1 dose of Tdap, followed by a dose of tetanus and diphtheria toxoids (Td) booster every 10 years.

    In pregnant women, give 1 dose of Tdap during each pregnancy, preferably in the early part of gestational weeks 27 through 36.

  • After the age of 18, repeat every 3 years if the vaccine is unconjugated (a type of vaccine that is free of polysaccharides and causes an independent T-cell response, without establishment of B-cell memory).

  • Adults without evidence of immunity to varicella who have previously received no varicella- containing vaccine should receive 2 doses of varicella vaccine (VAR) 4 to 6 weeks apart. If they previously received 1 dose of varicella-containing vaccine, give 1 dose of VAR at least 4 weeks after the first dose.

Importance of Adult Vaccinations

The importance, need, and efficacy of vaccinations have been well evidenced during the covid pandemic. Vaccines offer comprehensive and evidence-based protection against a wide range of vaccine preventable diseases, and as adults, just as much children – it helps to be immunized rather than have to undergo treatment for a condition.

  • Childhood vaccination effects wane away in adulthood
  • Adult vaccination saves lives and medical expenditure incurred on deadly diseases
  • Getting vaccinated protects not only the individual but also the family
  • Lastly, prevention is better than cure

Adult Vaccination FAQs

  • What is a Vaccine?

    A vaccine is a preparation that is used to stimulate the body’s immune response against diseases. Vaccines are usually administered through needle injections, but some can be administered by mouth or sprayed into the nose.

  • Vaccination is an act of introducing a vaccine into the body to produce protection from a specific disease.

  • A process by which a person becomes protected against a disease through vaccination. This term is often used interchangeably with vaccination or inoculation.

  • Yes, vaccines have been proved to be both safe & effective. They undergo a definitive and rigorous testing protocol to ensure safety of those being administered with the vaccine.

  • Yes, vaccines are for everyone. However, specific vaccines may be contraindicated if you are predisposed to certain conditions. Thus, please speak to your physician and vaccine administer, explain all your pre-existing before taking a vaccine.

  • There are no contraindications to administering registered vaccines during the same visit. However, the vaccines should be administered using separate syringes at separate sites. At least a 4-week interval is recommended if two or more parenterally or intranasally administered live vaccines are not given at the same visit. Any time interval is acceptable between administering oral vaccines and all parental vaccines (e.g., rotavirus and BCG vaccines); live and inactive vaccines; or two inactive vaccines.

  • The need for vaccination persists in adulthood, due to waning of childhood vaccination as well as due to added risk for vaccine-preventable illnesses in certain adults with special predisposing risk factors such as immunodeficiency, certain jobs, travel, pregnancy, lifestyle, or certain health conditions.

  • Vaccines of different manufactures can be interchanged (provided the strains used are the same and the manufactures literature states compatibility. Change of the brand may be necessary in case of non-availability of the same brand or if precious records are not clear about the brand used. However, same brand should be used in a patient as far as possible.