Immunizations are not just for children. They continue to be important in adulthood to protect you from several dangerous infectious diseases, although the number of immunizations you need drops dramatically after age 16. The three most important immunizations are those for tetanus, influenza (flu), and pneumococcal disease (a type of pneumonia). Tetanus is a bacterial infection that affects the central nervous system and can be life-threatening. The bacteria that cause tetanus are found in soil, dust, and animal feces and usually enter the body through an open cut. The bacteria produce a toxin, or poison, in the body that attacks the nervous system, stiffening the muscles. Tetanus is commonly called lockjaw because the muscles in the jaw and neck are affected first. You should get a booster shot of the tetanus vaccine every 10 years throughout adulthood. Influenza, commonly called the flu, is an infection caused by a virus that affects the respiratory system. Symptoms include fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, and a sore throat. Influenza is spread from person to person through direct contact, such as shaking hands, or by inhaling droplets containing the virus in the air after an infected person coughs or sneezes. New strains of influenza virus
appear every year, so you must get a shot of the influenza vaccine yearly, in the fall, just before the flu season starts. Doctors recommend the influenza vaccine for all men over age 65 and for younger men who have medical problems such as heart disease, lung disease, or diabetes or who have close contact with high-risk
people. Pneumococcal disease is caused by a bacterium. It can lead to pneumonia and a number of other serious complications. The most common symptoms are fever, chills, chest pain, a bluish cast to the lips and under the nails, and a cough. You should have a “pneumonia shot” if you are age 65 or over or if you have a
long-term health problem such as heart or lung disease, diabetes, or kidney disorders. The vaccine is taken once and provides long-term immunity; it can be taken at any time of the year. A person should be revaccinated if he received pneumococcal vaccine in childhood and has a chronic condition such as sicklecell
disease. Some men may need additional immunizations, depending on several factors. Hepatitis is a potentially serious inflammation of the liver caused by different viruses. The hepatitis A virus is transmitted through food touched by an infected person or in water that has become contaminated with raw sewage. The vaccine for hepatitis A is administered in two doses. Men traveling to countries in which the disease is common should get the first dose at least 4 weeks before departure, but preferably much earlier because the second dose is given 6 to 12 months after the first. The hepatitis B virus is spread through contact with an infected person’s blood or other body fluids. Healthcare workers who may be exposed to a patient’s body fluids, dialysis patients, people with HIV, and men who live with people infected with hepatitis B are at risk of getting the disease and should be immunized. The hepatitis B vaccine is given in three doses. The second dose is administered 1 month after the first, and the third dose is given 5 months after the second. A chickenpox (varicella) vaccine is now available for children and for adults who never contracted the disease in childhood. Chickenpox is a very contagious disease that causes only fever and an itchy rash in children. Although rare in adults, chickenpox can be much more serious when contracted in adulthood, causing sterility in men. Ask your doctor if he or she recommends that you get immunized for chickenpox. The vaccine is given in two doses, the second dose 1 to 2 months after the first.
