It’s National Immunization Awareness Month! Vaccines are an important part of staying healthy and the best way to steer clear of a preventable illness or disease. If you have a long-term health condition, you may already be protecting yourself by getting an annual flu vaccine, but there’s even more you can do to protect yourself when you have a chronic condition like diabetes, heart disease, COPD, or asthma.
Your healthcare provider can help keep you up to date, and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services also provides a recommended vaccination schedule for people with health conditions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2019). Click here and scroll to page 3 for the Recommended Adult Immunization Schedule by Medical Condition and Other Indications.
The CDC includes a list of chronic conditions and the recommended vaccination schedule for each (see below), including who should NOT get vaccinated with certain vaccines.
- Asplenia (not having a spleen)
- Diabetes (type 1 and type 2)
- Heart disease, stroke, or other cardiovascular disease
- HIV
- Liver disease
- Lung disease, including asthma
- Renal disease (kidney disease)
- Weakened immune system (like from cancer)
- Who Should NOT Get Vaccinated with these Vaccines?
Flu season is on its way, so we at Pack Health would like to encourage you to learn more about the vaccines that are right for you. Immunization is the best way to safeguard yourself and your family against vaccine-preventable Ask your healthcare provider about your vaccination schedule and help keep them up to date!
