Get your vaccines for National Immunization Awareness Month

There’s never been a better time to make sure you and your family are up-to-date on vaccinations than in August. It’s National Immunization Awareness Month. The school year (and its immunization requirements) is approaching—and the winter flu season just around the corner. So, it’s important to get into your provider’s office (or pharmacy!) and make sure you and your children are protected against vaccine preventable diseases. 

Some people cannot receive vaccines because they are too young, have compromised immune systems, or other contraindications.. There are very few contraindications to vaccination and many conditions are incorrectly perceived as contraindications or precautions to vaccination, so it is important to discuss your concerns with your provider before skipping vaccines. Those who cannot receive some or all vaccines rely on herd immunity—the immunized people surrounding them—to act as a barrier against disease.

This makes it even more important for all those who are physically able to get vaccinated. By keeping yourself and your family up-to-date on your immunizations, you’re not only protecting yourselves, but also those around you. This August, in celebration of National Immunization Awareness Month, do your part to make sure that you and your family are properly immunized—including for COVID-19.

What is immunization?

During National Immunization Awareness Month, it’s important to understand what exactly is immunization. Immunization is the process of making an individual immune, or resistant, to an infectious disease. Once immunized against a specific disease, your body’s immune system is better able to fight off and prevent any future infections from that disease and reduce transmission to susceptible persons.

The most common way that immunization occurs is through vaccination. Vaccines contain proteins that encourage your immune system to produce the antibodies to fight against that disease, ensuring you won’t get it in the future. Vaccines are commonly given through injections, pills, or nasal sprays.

It is a relatively painless procedure with a big payoff—protection against a wide range of diseases, from tetanus to measles to the common flu. Immunization is the reason why the World Health Organization was able to declare smallpox eradicated in 1980, and why infectious diseases such as polio and measles are so uncommon today. Vaccination is simple, affordable, and, most importantly, mandatory—especially for kids. Insurance plans must cover most vaccines without co-payment and there are federal and state programs that provide vaccines for uninsured persons. Many vaccines are most effective if they are first received as infants and children, and then kept up into adulthood on their prescribed schedule.

National Immunization Awareness Month

There’s a reason that August is National Immunization Awareness Month. August is the ideal time to immunize, before schools and universities start, while children, adolescents, and young adults are presenting for back to school physicals, before the start of respiratory illness season and before people cluster indoors where they are more likely to spread illnesses. And soon, kids will be heading back to school, exposing them to new and diverse diseases—especially because many have just traveled on summer vacation.

Spreading awareness and accurate information about the benefits of immunization is more important than ever, especially given the growing anti-vaccination trend. Many people, especially parents, are concerned about possible negative side effects of vaccination. While mild side effects, such as minor swelling or low-grade fevers are possible, the concerns of the anti-vaccination movement are based on inaccurate or disproved information—such as the idea that vaccines cause autism or contain unsafe ingredients. 

Despite the fact that this is untrue, many now forgo vaccines for themselves or their children, putting both themselves and those around them, especially vulnerable persons, at risk of infectious diseases. Unfortunately, there have been large outbreaks of vaccine preventable illnesses such as measles and mumps, and polio is still prevalent in developing countries because of inadequate vaccination rates. Vaccines enable your immune system to fight diseases that would otherwise keep you bedridden, hospitalized, or cause serious long-term injury, or worse. Not only do they keep you feeling better and give you peace of mind about your health, but they also protect those around you. If you’re immune to a disease, that means you are unlikely to pass it on to others.

Immunization schedule

For many vaccines, getting them as early as possible is best for maximum protection. But most vaccines don’t last forever, and many of them require individuals to be revaccinated or receive multiple doses on a schedule. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) annually releases expert recommendations for scheduling vaccines to protect infants, children, adolescents, and adults against vaccine-preventable diseases in the U.S.

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The vaccines below are the most common (there are other vaccines and dosage recommendations for patients with specific circumstances or risk factors). The CDC also recommends that everyone 6 months and older is vaccinated for COVID-19. The timing of shots varies based on age.

CDC recommendations for common vaccines
Type	First dose	Second dose	Third dose	Fourth dose	More
Hepatitis B	At birth	1-2 months	6-18 months		2-3 doses in adulthood
Rotavirus	2 months	4 months	6 months (depending on vaccine)
Diphtheria, tetanus, & acellular pertussis (DTaP)	2 months	4 months	6 months	15-18 months	Fifth dose at 4-6 years
Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)	2 months	4 months	6 months (depending on vaccine)	12-15 months
Pneumococcal conjugate (PCV13)	2 months	4 months	6 months	12-15 months
Inactivated poliovirus (IPV)	2 months	4 months	6-18 months	4-6 years
Influenza	6 months				One dose annually into adulthood
Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR)	12-15 months	4-6 years			1-2 doses in  adulthood
Varicella (VAR)	12-15 months	4-6 years			2 doses in adulthood
Hepatitis A (HepA)	2 dose series between 12-23 months
Tetanus, diphtheria, & acellular pertussis  (Tdap)	11-12 years				Booster every 10 years
Human papillomavirus  (HPV)	11-12 years	6-12 months after first dose
Meningococcal	11-12 years	16 years
Pneumococcal polysaccharide	65+ years
Zoster	2 doses after 50 years

These recommendations are just that—strong suggestions for maximizing health outcomes. While your provider can’t require that you get vaccinated on this schedule, institutions, such as schools and workplaces, can. Your children’s school or sports program will likely ask for proof that they are up to date on immunizations before allowing them to enroll. This is for the protection of other children and staff (including those who may be immunocompromised) as much as it is for your own child’s protection.

How to get immunization records

If you need your immunization records, the first place to contact is your provider’s office. Your primary care provider should have a record of all the immunizations you’ve received at the practice. If you’ve recently switched providers, you may need to contact your last provider to ask them to send your records  and update your new provider. Your child’s provider should be able to provide any records that they need to enroll in school or other activities.

Unfortunately, there’s no national database for immunization, and many clinics and hospitals only keep immunization for a number of years. Some states maintain immunization databases.  If you’re an adult looking for immunization records from your childhood, ask your parents or caregiver. Previous schools and workplaces may also keep your records for a few years after you leave.

How to save money on immunizations

The sticker price for vaccines can vary widely—from $10 to over $100. While most insurance plans cover a variety of vaccines, making many of them free or low-cost for patients, there’s a chance you may still be saddled with some costs. SingleCare coupons can help you save on immunizations if they’re not covered by your insurance—or if you don’t have insurance. Through SingleCare, you can find coupons for vaccines treating yellow fever, shingles, meningitis, influenza, and more. Ask your pharmacist which vaccinations you can receive straight in the pharmacy. 

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