(ARA) – Which vaccinations should adults get? If you answered,
“I don’t know,” don’t worry – you’re not alone. A new national
survey of adults in the United States reveals that more than
two-thirds don’t know which vaccinations they need beyond just
the flu shot. Adults need vaccinations not only to protect
themselves from serious diseases but also to prevent spreading
illnesses to their family, friends and other loved ones.
Millions of Americans get sick from diseases that can be
prevented by vaccines each year, causing them to miss work and
leaving them unable to care for those who depend on them,
including children and aging parents. Even though many diseases
can now be prevented by vaccines, there are still nearly 1
million cases of shingles (which is caused by the chickenpox
virus) in the United States every year, and almost one out of
three people will develop shingles in their lifetime. Also,
cases of whooping cough have increased significantly within the
last year – there have been 26,000 cases of who