1. Vaccines have saved lives for more than 100 years, but serious diseases remain a threat
Vaccines have greatly reduced diseases that once routinely harmed or killed babies, children and adults. People around the world (including the United States) are still getting seriously ill or even dying from diseases that vaccines can help prevent. It is important that you stay up to date with recommended vaccinations.
The protection provided by some vaccines may wear off over time, and you may need additional vaccine doses (booster) to maintain protection. For example, adults should receive a tetanus booster shot every 10 years to protect against infection from dirty wounds. Talk to your healthcare provider about vaccination to see if you may have missed any vaccines or need a booster.
2. Vaccines are the best way to protect you and your loved ones from preventable diseases
Did you know that vaccines are the best way to protect yourself from certain preventable diseases? Vaccines help the body create protective antibodies, proteins that help fight infections.
By getting vaccinated, you can protect yourself and also avoid spreading preventable diseases to others in your community. Some people cannot receive certain vaccines because they are too young or too old or because they have a weakened immune system or another serious health condition. Those people are less likely to get a preventable disease when you and others around you are vaccinated against it. Help protect yourself and your loved ones by staying up to date on recommended vaccines.
3. Vaccines can prevent serious diseases
Some vaccine-preventable diseases can have serious complications or even lead to subsequent illnesses. For them, vaccination provides protection not only against the disease itself but also against the dangerous complications or consequences it can bring. Some examples:
- Seasonal influenza (flu) is a respiratory virus that sickens tens of millions of people each year in the United States. Getting an annual flu shot helps you avoid infections and reduces your chances of being hospitalized or dying if you become infected. The flu vaccine also protects you from flu-related pneumonia and flu-related heart attacks or strokes, complications that can affect anyone but are especially dangerous for people with diabetes or chronic heart or lung conditions.
- Hepatitis B is a serious and life-threatening infection of the liver caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). There is no cure, but vaccination prevents HBV infection, as well as the chronic liver damage and cancer that hepatitis B can cause.
- Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a leading cause of cervical cancer and can cause other cancers in both women and men. The HPV vaccine prevents you from becoming infected with the virus or passing it on to others, protecting you and them from the immediate effects of the virus, as well as the various cancers it can trigger.
4. The vaccines you receive are safe
Vaccine safety is a high priority. The CDC and other experts carefully review safety data before recommending any vaccine and then continually monitor the safety of the vaccine after it is approved.
Vaccines can have side effects, but most people experience only mild (if any) side effects after vaccination. The most common side effects are fever, tiredness, body aches or redness, swelling, and tenderness where the injection was given. Mild reactions usually go away on their own after a few days. Serious or long-lasting side effects are extremely rare and the safety of vaccines is continually monitored.
5. Vaccines may be required
Certain vaccines are required for school, work, travel, and more. Students, military personnel, and residents of rehabilitation or care facilities should be vaccinated against diseases that circulate in confined spaces. Health care workers and others whose work puts them at risk of contracting and spreading preventable diseases should be vaccinated against them.
And, of course, vaccination is necessary before traveling to many places in the world. Because vaccination protects you and those around you, vaccines may be necessary for both everyday activities and extraordinary situations. It is important that you stay up to date with recommended vaccinations.
