Not all vaccines last a lifetime

Some are meant for adults.

August 23, 2010
by Joy Batteh-Freiha
Jacksonville Times Union

 

Most parents realize the lifesaving benefits of immunizations aimed at preventing serious illnesses in their children. What they may not realize, though, is that they need some of the same shots in the arm themselves.

According to a report from Trust for America's Health, a nonprofit organization that focuses on nationwide disease-prevention awareness and education, up to 50,000 U.S. adults die each year from vaccine-preventable diseases. One of the main reasons for this may be that many adults think they're too old for vaccines or mistakenly assume their childhood vaccines last a lifetime, the report states. That's not necessarily the case, doctors say.

 

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