Find out from Dr. Tina Tan of Northwestern University why adult vaccination against various types of diseases is important
Find out from Dr. Tina Tan of Northwestern University why adult vaccination against various types of diseases is important
Learn about the importance of adult vaccination against measles and other diseases.
Courtesy of Northwestern University (A Britannica Publishing Partner)
Transcript
NARRATOR: To help protect infants from the recent measles outbreak, adults should check their own vaccination history.
DR. TINA TAN: If you have an adult person who is worried about measles and doesn't know whether or not they've received two doses of the vaccine, they should contact their physician. And if it for some reason they're unable to find out whether or not they got two doses, it's not going to hurt them to get a booster dose of vaccine to protect themselves.
NARRATOR: Dr. Tina Tan studies adult vaccine use at Northwestern Medicine and Lurie Children's Hospital. She has found many adult health care providers are not comfortable giving vaccines or don't stock vaccines for cost issues. And that's a public health concern.
TAN: As these vaccine preventable diseases start to reappear, it does become more imperative that adults stay up to date on their vaccines and receive the vaccines that they need.
NARRATOR: Tan is currently studying the role of pharmacists as vaccinators. Most pharmacists can give adults any vaccine they request.
TAN: Adults should be getting whooping cough vaccine, they should be getting flu vaccine, pneumococcal vaccine, herpes zoster vaccine, MMR vaccine. I mean, there are a number of different diseases that not only affect children but also affect adults, and these adults need to be vaccinated against these diseases.
DR. TINA TAN: If you have an adult person who is worried about measles and doesn't know whether or not they've received two doses of the vaccine, they should contact their physician. And if it for some reason they're unable to find out whether or not they got two doses, it's not going to hurt them to get a booster dose of vaccine to protect themselves.
NARRATOR: Dr. Tina Tan studies adult vaccine use at Northwestern Medicine and Lurie Children's Hospital. She has found many adult health care providers are not comfortable giving vaccines or don't stock vaccines for cost issues. And that's a public health concern.
TAN: As these vaccine preventable diseases start to reappear, it does become more imperative that adults stay up to date on their vaccines and receive the vaccines that they need.
NARRATOR: Tan is currently studying the role of pharmacists as vaccinators. Most pharmacists can give adults any vaccine they request.
TAN: Adults should be getting whooping cough vaccine, they should be getting flu vaccine, pneumococcal vaccine, herpes zoster vaccine, MMR vaccine. I mean, there are a number of different diseases that not only affect children but also affect adults, and these adults need to be vaccinated against these diseases.