image of barnstable county courthouse

Adults Need Vaccines, Too!

Barnstable County Department of Health Celebrates National Immunization Awareness Month.

Every year, tens of thousands of adults in the United States suffer serious health problems, are hospitalized, or even die from diseases that could have been prevented by vaccination.

To celebrate the importance of immunizations throughout life – and to help remind adults that they need vaccines, too – the Barnstable County Department of Health is recognizing August as National Immunization Awareness Month.

This is the perfect opportunity to make sure adults are protected against diseases like flu, whooping cough, tetanus, shingles and pneumococcal disease. The specific vaccines adults need are determined by factors such as age, lifestyle, risk conditions, locations of travel, and previous vaccines. All adults should talk to their health care professionals to make sure they are up to date on vaccines recommended for them.

“There is a misconception among many adults that vaccines are just for children,” said county public health nurse Deirdre Arvidson RN, BSN. “The truth is that you never outgrow the need for immunizations.”

To find out which vaccines you need and where you can get vaccinated, visit barnstablecountyhealth.org and/or CDC web site] or call 508-375-6617.

[bctt tweet=”Adults Need Vaccines, Too! Do you know which vaccines you need and where you can go? ” username=””]