Did you know that only 1 out of 5 adults is up to date with vaccines recommended to reduce illness, hospitalization, disability, and even death? (Immunize.org) Most adults can share an experience where an illness has impacted their ability to work, be active in their communities, or resulted in time away from those they love the most.
Vaccines for adults are recommend based on age, prior vaccinations, health, lifestyle, occupation, travel destinations, and sexual activity. Vaccines trigger your immune response, helping your body remember the germ so it can fight the germ if it ever invades your body again.
For those living with diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, HIV, liver disease, or end stage kidney disease, vaccines reduce your risk for serious illness and complications of infection.
Common vaccines adults should consider include COVID-19, flu (influenza), hepatitis B, human papillomavirus (HPV), pneumococcal, shingles, and tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (Tdap).
If you’re planning to become pregnant or are pregnant, make sure you are up to date on all your vaccines. Vaccines protect you and your baby. A baby gets disease protection during pregnancy that continues during the first few months of the baby’s life. If you are pregnant, speak to your doctor and consider the whooping cough, flu, RSV, and COVID-19 vaccines.
Other reasons to stay up to date with your vaccines include: being a smoker, being born outside of the U.S., having an international adoptee, being a man who has sex with men, having multiple sex partners, using intravenous drugs, or being homeless.
How can you check your vaccine status?
To check your status, contact your health provider for your immunization record or visit iris.iowa.gov to request a copy of your record. You may also request a copy by visiting Black Hawk County Public Health at 1407 Independence Ave., 5th Fl., Waterloo, Iowa, 50703 between 8 A.M. – 4:30 P.M. Monday-Friday. Ask for the immunization request form. Complete the form and provide us with your unexpired state-issued ID (we will make a copy and attach it to your request form). Allow us 24 hours to process your request. All immunizations records can be picked up at the reception desk.