The Pettis Report: Back-To-School and Adult Immunizations – You Call The Shots on Getting Your Shots

With August being National Vaccine Awareness Month (and the school year rapidly approaching), I wanted to take this opportunity to share some important information for parents on vaccines, emphasize their importance in your overall health and wellness, and how to stay updated on immunization requirements.

As many of you are aware, we are in the midst of a resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic, and understanding and complying with vaccine recommendations has never been more important. Unfortunately however, COVID-19 isn’t the only virus we have to watch out for – I’ll be sharing what other shots your kids will require for back to school.

Moreover, many adults tend to have a relaxed stance when it comes to getting their own vaccines. You probably remember being carted off to your family doctor as a child and getting bribed with a lollipop in exchange for taking dreaded shots – but how many shots do you remember taking as an adult?

While a number of childhood diseases have been eradicated or controlled with our routine vaccines, many adults don’t realize the importance of keeping up to date with immunizations throughout their lifetime. If you’re not sure what vaccines you might need, don’t worry; keep reading to find out how to protect your health, along with your children’s, for years to come.

How Do Vaccines Work?

With the amount of misinformation regarding vaccines out there, I wanted to first clarify the science behind vaccines.

Vaccines are integral to developing immunity to a disease without you getting sick by it first. They contain weakened or inactive versions of disease-causing organisms, called antigens, to trigger an immune response within the body. New vaccine technology works by providing your body with a “cell blueprint” for antigens, in order to produce antibodies to protect yourself against later infection.

When you get vaccinated, your immune system responds the same way it would to the actual pathogen – it recognizes the bacteria as foreign to the body, creates antibodies, and remembers how to fight it in case of future encounters.

The goal of these vaccines is to produce a response that will last for months or years, and protect you from exposure to the actual viruses or diseases.

Because the protection levels from first or second doses decrease over time, “booster” shots exist to help you maintain effective immunity for a subsequent specified period.

The Imperative COVID-19 Vaccine

Throughout history, we have successfully developed vaccines for a number of life-threatening diseases, including meningitis, tetanus, measles and polio.

However, the importance of vaccines has likely never been greater in our lifetimes than during the challenging circumstances we have faced with the COVID-19 pandemic.

As of July 2022, 86% of North Carolina’s population has received at least one vaccine dose – however, only 63% are fully vaccinated, and only 18% have taken a booster shot.

The available vaccines have proven to be crucial in stemming the tide of infections. While they aren’t perfect, these vaccines have significantly decreased the rate of hospitalization and death associated with the virus.

Like any vaccine, of course it does not guarantee full protection. You’ve undoubtedly seen fully vaccinated and boosted individuals still getting infected – however, the virus’s severity tends to be much less.

Even if you’ve been previously infected with COVID-19, it’s still important to get vaccinated. While infection alone provides some protection as your body develops antibodies, getting vaccinated helps further improve the immune system’s response for longer-lasting protection.

Therefore, I would recommend that anyone eligible should receive this life-saving vaccine – either the initial or booster dose – as soon as possible. Currently, everyone 6 months and older is eligible to be fully vaccinated with the initial dose.

Ongoing updates to these vaccines and boosters are being studied and approved, so you should speak with your provider to discuss available options and timing of immunizations.

Back-To-School Immunizations

Certain vaccines are required for children by North Carolina law, while others are recommended. In order to be fully protected from vaccine-preventable diseases, children should receive all age-appropriate immunizations.

Required vaccines include DTaP, hepatitis B, MMR, and polio shots, among others – you can check your child’s full immunization requirements by grade on NCDHHS’s website or consult this handy guide.

Kids ages 5 and up are also recommended a COVID-19 booster dose, if they are fully vaccinated and 5 months past their second shot. And like adults, your child should still get the vaccine even if he/she has already been sick with COVID-19.

If you’re looking to get your child vaccinated, please note that kids have a different, smaller dose than the adult vaccine, which means it may not be available in every location. Unlike some vaccines however, the COVID-19 vaccine is free everywhere.

If you’re ready to schedule your child’s shot or would like to consult us for recommended vaccines, please contact our office for an appointment.

Adult Immunization Rates

Contrary to popular belief, vaccines aren’t “just for kids.” For adults, staying up-to-date on your vaccines is just as important as taking your medication regularly, consuming a healthy diet, and regular exercise.

Unfortunately, recent surveys have shown that only a small percentage of adults are fully updated on recommended vaccines. The Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) reports that in the U.S., fewer adults than children are fully vaccinated, even though adults are much more likely to die from vaccine-preventable diseases than are children. In fact, vaccine coverage levels for children at KG entry exceed 90% in the majority of the U.S.

There are a few understandable reasons for this imbalance. Medical attention for adults focus on acute or chronic illnesses than naturally receive priority over preventive care. Immunization records often get lapsed or neglected when many adults change providers or don’t visit a clinician regularly. Or with providers not covering recommended vaccines or having complicated payment systems, adults may face financial constraints and decide to opt out.

The result is an incredibly low adult immunization rate for several critical vaccines. CDC’s 2015 adult immunization coverage estimates indicate less than 50% of adults 19 or older have received their annual influenza vaccine, and less than 25% of adults aged 19-64 have been vaccinated against pneumococcal disease, despite being at high-risk.

Similar immunization rates exist for the herpes zoster (shingles) and HPV vaccines, in addition to racial and ethnic disparities being present for all vaccines.

Required & Recommended Vaccines For Adults

I’m happy to see that this is slowly beginning to change. National guidelines are increasingly working to improve adult immunization rates, and reduce preventable infectious diseases in adults as well as children.

With the CDC and National Adult Immunization Plan (NAIP) creating specific goals directed at adults, including increasing coverage of 17 vaccines administered over the course of your life, immunization rates in adults 65 years and older is increasing.

One of the biggest reasons for low adult vaccine rates is that there isn’t a standardized immunization schedule. Unlike children – who need vaccines based on age alone – adults need different vaccines based on their health, age, lifestyle, and even occupational factors.

However, there are many resources available to guide you. You can view a full list of recommended vaccines on the CDC’s website, or simply make an appointment with us to assess your specific needs.

Staying Updated With Your Vaccines – And Health

Vaccines play a vital role in overall preventative health planning for you and your family. Virtually all vaccines available today are safe, effective, well tolerated, and often covered at little to no additional cost to you.

Metrolina Internal Medicine stocks and administers several important vaccines, readily available to be given on any office visit. It is important to review, discuss and proceed with recommended vaccines at recommended times. The clinical staff and providers are happy to discuss your vaccination status and make specific recommendations for you, so please contact us if you have any questions or would like to make an appointment.

I wish you continued health and wellness in the days and years to come.

Until next time!

Karlton S. Pettis, MD