Vaccines

Children and adults need vaccines to protect against contagious diseases for their health, safety, and well-being, as well as others. Christine Falls, FNP-BC, Alisha Marie Moore, CRNP, FNP-BC, and the team at Northside Primary Care in Northport, Alabama, offer a wide range of vaccines for infants, children, adults, and geriatrics. For a flu shot or any other vaccine, call the family practice to schedule an appointment or book one online today.

What are vaccines?

Vaccines are a way to prevent you and others from spreading diseases caused by toxins, viruses, or bacteria. Once exposed, a vaccine utilizes the body’s natural ability to create immunization against disease.

Vaccines introduce a small amount of weakened or dead germ, stimulating the body’s immune response to build immunity against it, preventing illness. Your body can fight the disease when and if you are exposed to it later on.

Different types of diseases require different types of vaccines. Depending on the type, you only need some vaccines once in a lifetime, while others on a recurrent basis.

What are the types of vaccines?

Several different types of vaccines work in slightly different ways to protect the body from future exposure to disease. They include:

Live-attenuated vaccine

Live-attenuated vaccines use a weakened germ form, and immunity lasts a lifetime. Common diseases that have this type of vaccine include mumps, measles, and chickenpox.

Inactivated

An inactivated vaccine uses a dead form of the germ. Immunity is shorter-lived and may need repeating over a lifetime or annually. Examples include flu, polio, and Hepatitis A vaccines.

Subunit, recombinant, polysaccharide, and conjugate vaccines

Each of these vaccines uses partial forms of diseases, such as specific proteins from the germ. Immunity is strong, but many need boosters throughout a lifetime. Shingles and whooping cough vaccines are part of this group.

Toxoid vaccines

This type uses a toxin produced by the germ, which is usually the cause of disease symptoms. Immunity is against the toxin rather than the germ itself and may need boosters throughout a lifetime. This includes diphtheria and tetanus.

The team at Northside Primary Care can answer any additional questions or concerns you may have.

Who needs vaccines?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that scheduled vaccines begin as early as birth. Early vaccinations can help a child build immunization against the disease before they are likely to come in contact with it, such as measles, chickenpox, rubella, and whooping cough.

Other groups who may need to be vaccinated include:

• Adults over the age of 50
• Geriatrics
• Health care workers
• Pregnant women
• Military members
• International travelers

Vaccines are often required for job placement, school attendance, daycare, or to comply with government regulations.

If you, your child, or a family member needs a vaccine, don't delay. Call Northside Primary Care to schedule your visit. You can also book an appointment online, which is fast and easy.