Back-to-School Means Immunization Update

Every age has vaccination requirements

FALLS CHURCH, VA – (August 13, 2012) – August, being National Immunization Awareness Month, is the perfect time to update immunizations and remind family, friends, and coworkers to get caught up on their shots.

Immunizations (or vaccinations) aren’t just for babies and young kids. We all need shots to help protect us from serious diseases and illness. Everyone age 6 months and older needs a seasonal flu shot every year. Here are some other shots people need at different ages:

Young children:

• Children under age 6 get a series of shots to protect against measles, polio, chicken pox, and hepatitis.

Pre-teens and teens:

• Pre-teens need shots at age 11 or 12 to help protect them from tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough, meningitis, and human papillomavirus (HPV).
• Teens need a booster shot at age 16 to help protect them from meningitis.
• Pre-college students need vaccines for meningitis, pneumonia, tetanus and hepatitis B.  Females are encouraged to receive the HPV vaccine.

Adults:

• All adults need a booster shot every 10 years to protect against tetanus and diphtheria.
• People age 65 or older need a one-time pneumonia shot.

Vaccines are the most successful and cost-effective public health tools available for preventing disease and death.  Immunization is a shared responsibility, with families, healthcare professionals and public health officials working together to help protect the entire community.

For more information on immunizations or to schedule your immunizations, make an appointment with an Inova Medical Group Primary Care Physician:  1.855.IMG.DOCS (1.855.464.3627) or visit  www.InovaMedicalGroup.org.

Contact: Lisa Streich, 703-645-2852

About Inova
Inova is a not-for-profit health care system located in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, serving over two million people with over 1,700 licensed beds based in Northern Virginia.  Inova consists of five hospitals including the area’s only Level 1 Trauma Center and Level 3 Neonatal Intensive Care unit.  Inova encompasses many health services including the nationally and internationally recognized Inova Heart and Vascular Institute (IHVI), Inova Translational Medicine Institute (ITMI) on genomics, Inova Neuroscience Institute and Inova Children’s Hospital.  Inova’s mission is to improve the health of the diverse community it serves through excellence in patient care, education and research.  More information and statistics about Inova is at www.inova.org.

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