Vaccines Specialist
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Healthstone Primary Care
Primary Care Practice & Geriatrics located in Weston, FL, Davie, FL, & Pembroke Pines, FL
Vaccines are an essential part of preventive care. They ensure you remain safe and well should you come into contact with a disease that has the potential to make you severely ill. The team at Healthstone Primary Care recommends that every patient follow a vaccination program, and they’re always happy to answer any questions you may have about immunization. Are you up-to-date on your vaccines? If not, you can make an appointment at one of the practice’s offices in Weston, Pembroke Pines, and Davie, Florida, over the phone or by booking online.
Vaccines Q & A
What is a vaccine?
A vaccine is a method of preventive medicine that protects your body against pathogens. Most of the time, your immune system keeps pathogens out. But if pathogens overwhelm your immune system, like in the cases of many serious diseases, you can become very sick.
A vaccine transmits a safe and controlled amount of a disease into your body so that your immune system can teach itself how to recognize and eliminate it. The next time you come into contact with the disease, you're entirely immune, or its side effects are much reduced.
It's perfectly natural to have questions around vaccines, and the team at Healthstone Primary is always on hand to discuss any concerns you may have.
What vaccines should you have, and when?
Medical professionals recommend everyone follows a vaccination program to ensure they receive vital protection against a number of potentially life-threatening diseases. This not only keeps each person safe but their communities too.
Many elementary schools require that children have several vaccines before they start the school year. These include:
- Varicella, or chickenpox
- Hepatitis B
- Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR)
- Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP)
- Rotavirus (RV)
- Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV)
- Inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV)
- Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine (Hib)
- Yearly flu vaccine after six months old
As children get older, a typical vaccination program includes the following:
- Varicella, or chickenpox
- Hepatitis A
- Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR)
- Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP)
- Human papillomavirus (HPV)
- Meningococcal
- Yearly flu vaccine
Once you reach adulthood, your recommended vaccines include a pneumonia vaccine, a tetanus booster, and the yearly flu vaccine.
Some vaccines last a lifetime, while some require boosters because the antibodies deplete over time. Other vaccines — like the flu vaccine — are annual because the strain of the disease changes entirely each season. So, in effect, each year, you have to vaccinate against a new disease.
Are vaccines safe?
Medical professionals consider vaccines to be extremely safe — certainly safer than not having one and catching the disease it's trying to protect you from. Vaccines receive rigorous testing and must be approved by the FDA before being released to the public.
The team at Healthstone Primary helps you stay on track with your vaccines, keeping you safe and well. Schedule your appointment today over the phone or through the online booking platform.
