Community immunity: How to protect yourself and others by keeping your immunizations up to date

You may think of vaccinations as something for kids, but the fact is that even  though the days of scheduled school vaccines are behind us, we're not too old to be done with them forever. We often forget all about them, though, so allergy and immunology specialist, Dr. Christine Song, stopped by The Goods to tell us why we may need a booster or two and why vaccinations are just as important for adults.

Boosters will provide extra protection

Dr. Song explained that as we get older, the protection we had from previous vaccination can decrease for some diseases. Getting another dose, called a booster, can increase our immunity to provide the best protection. Some adults may have missed one or more of their vaccines when they were a child, and they may need to catch up and get these vaccines now. There are also diseases that are more common in adults, even healthy ones. This is why additional vaccines are needed as we get older.

They protect the people around you

A startling number — less than 10% to be exact — of adult Canadians are actually up-to-date on their immunizations. Dr. Song believes that the reason for this is because vaccines have worked so well that we now take them for granted. We've forgotten just how bad some of these diseases were. For example, smallpox was an infectious disease that caused painful, red blisters. It killed millions of people around the world, and up to 3000 Canadians every year. But vaccines completely wiped out smallpox in the late 1970s, and that's why we no longer need to use a smallpox vaccine. In fact, it is estimated that vaccines prevent 2-3 million deaths worldwide per year.

Vaccines don't just protect you; they protect those around you. They protect individuals against specific diseases, but they also help those who have not had the vaccine by creating "community immunity" also known as "herd immunity." This helps sheild people vulnerable to the disease, such as babies too young to be immunized, people undergoing chemotherapy, the elderly, and people who cannot be immunized for medical reasons.

The benefits often outweigh any potential side effects

Dr. Song admits that some vaccines are more effective than others. For example, the measles vaccine is incredibly effective, but others may not offer 100% protection. But we do know that you are far more likely to suffer from a vaccine-preventable disease than from a reaction to a vaccine. Most reactions, such as a sore arm or mild fever, are usually minor, and last no longer than a day. Serious side effects are very rare, and are carefully monitored by healthcare providers.

Tied to that, it's worth noting that allergies to vaccines do exist, but Dr. Song assured us that they are quite rare. In a few cases, some people can have anaphylactic reactions, rash, or difficulty breathing. If this happens, talk to your doctor and they can refer you to an allergist. In general, it's not uncommon to get mild side effects such as soreness at the injection site, a mild fever, or a mild rash. But again, these potential side effects are definitely outweighed by the benefits, so talk to your doctor about your immunization record and find out if you're up to date.  

There's a long list of vaccines that you could be in need of

What you're in need of really depends on your medical conditions, and the guidelines for every province are different so Dr. Song recommends that you talk to your doctor. But if you're already pregnant, it's good to know that you can't get certain live vaccines, such as the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. Also, in 2012 there was a rise in cases of whooping cough, which is caused by pertussis, so it is now recommended that all adults get a booster of pertussis. And pregnant women can get it as well, helping to protect that newborn infant from catching this potentially fatal disease from mom.

Here is a list to get you started:

• Human papillomavirus (HPV) - This is a relatively recent vaccine that helps to protect against a virus that is known to cause some forms of cervical cancer. But it also covers other cancers, such as cancer of the throat, penis and anus. So it's not just women that need to ask about it.
• Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR)
• Seasonal Influenza
• Tetanus and Diphtheria are recommended every ten years.
• Pertussis
• Hepatitis A & B and Travel Vaccines
• Shingles
• Pneumonia shot

Talk to your doctor and track down your immunization records to find out if you have catching up to do.