- Get Rubeola and Rubella titers if you were born after 1956 or don't know if you had a two
MMR shots or have not had titers to prove immunity. Red Measles still occurs in the USA an can kill and German Measles
can injure your baby if you are pregnant and don't have immunity.
- Tetanus-diptheria (Td) must
be given every 10 years. The Tdap (Tetanus-Diptheria-Pertussis) shot should be taken once by all adults. It will prevent people
from giving Pertussis (whooping cough) to babies. If you get a puncture wound, don't hesitate to get a Tetanus shot within
3 days if your last tetanus shot was over 5 years before. The incubation period of tetanus is 8 days and, once it strikes
the brain, it's almost impossible to cure.
- Influenza vaccine: Everyone over 6 months old, unless
allergic or with some contraindication, should get a flu shot yearly.
- Pneumonia shots will
prevent the most deadly and prevalent bacterial pneumonia. More people die of this pneumonia than any other illness in the
world. Get Prevnar-13 at age 50 and get Pneumovax-23 one year later and another Pneumovax -23 at age 65. We use
a different schedule if you start after 65.
- If you have had your spleen removed, get Pneumonia
shots every 6 years, no matter what your age. You also will need one Hemophilus B and Meningitis shots every
5 years.
- Meningitis vaccine (Menactra) is given to all 11 year olds and should be repeated in
5 years or before entering college. Get Bexaro (Meningitis B) shots also
- Gardisil-9 shots X3
are recommended to all men and women from age 18 to 45, the sooner the better, to prevent oral or cervical cancer
- Hepatitis B kills more people in the world than AIDS. The 3 shots should be given to all children, teens, single
adults without immunity and anyone planning to live for a time in a third-world country.
- Hepatitis
A shots (X2) gives lifetime immunity from food-borne Hepatitis A. You especially should get it at least 3 weeks
before going to a tropical country or sailing on a cruise ship.
- Typhoid shots: Get Typhim Vi
IM at least 3 weeks before going to a tropical country
- Shingrix shots ( 2 shots, 2 to 6 months
apart) should be given to everone over 50 even if they have had Shingles in the past on have taken the older Shingles shot
(Zostavax). Shingrix will prevent 92% of future Shingles and prevent the loss of an eye or possibly 10 years of post-shingles
neuralgia pain
The best thing doctors do for patients is to take the time to
explain why shots can prevent devastating illnesses and how safe they are. If it wasn't for shots, 49,000 children would die
every year in the USA. Hundreds of children die every year in Madacascar where parents can't afford shots for their kids.
Ever since Smallpox shots were invented by Dr Jenner (saving 20 million people from dying in Europe), there have been groups
of people afraid to take shots. In my 50 years of practice, I have yet to see a patient hurt by an immunization. In fact,
since 1975, immunizations have become even safer by cleaning up any impurities and taking out preservatives because of single
dose vials. The most brilliant and dedicated people in the world develop and monitor the safety of immunizations. Trust these people,
not the conspiracy theorists on the Internet.
Before
going to a tropical country, go to CDC.gov/destinations to see what shots are needed and if you need Malaria pills. Use
head-to-toe 28% DEET day and night to prevent Malaria, Dengue fever, Zika virus
