Vaccinations Specialist
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Healthy Life Family Medicine
Family Medicine Clinic located in Goodyear, AZ
Vaccines are critical to protecting the health of your child, your family, and your community. At Healthy Life Family Medicine in Goodyear, Arizona, John Monroe, MD, and his team provide vaccinations for children and adults to protect their health. If you or your child is due for immunization or if you have questions about vaccines, call Healthy Life Family Medicine or schedule a consultation online today.
Vaccinations Q & A
What are vaccines?
Vaccines, also called immunizations, are treatments that help your body develop immunity to a disease. When you or your child has a vaccine, your doctor injects a safe, diluted amount of a virus or another type of disease germ into your body.
A vaccine won’t make you feel sick, but it triggers your immune system, and your body starts to produce antibodies to fight off the illness. Those antibodies stay in your system, and if you come into contact with the disease again, your body is prepared to fight it off and prevent you from getting sick.
Why are vaccines necessary?
Vaccines not only keep you and your family from getting sick, but they also stop the spread of disease through communities.
For example, polio used to be one of the most feared diseases in the United States. In 1952, nearly 60,000 children came down with the virus, thousands were paralyzed, and over 3,000 died. The polio vaccine became widely available in 1955, and by 1979, polio was eliminated across the country.
Today, children still receive polio vaccines — the disease still exists — but as a parent, you don’t need to worry about your child becoming paralyzed or worse because of a preventable disease.
What vaccines do my child and I need?
The team at Healthy Life Family Medicine offers a comprehensive range of vaccines for adults and children. The recommended vaccines for children include:
- Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP)
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR)
- Pneumococcal
- Polio
- Rotavirus
- Chickenpox
- Human papillomavirus (HPV)
Adults also need vaccines. Some vaccines like tetanus and diphtheria require boosters every 10 years. If you’re over 50, your doctor might recommend a shingles vaccine or immunizations for pneumococcal diseases.
You might also need travel vaccinations if you’re planning a trip to a place that has diseases that aren’t common in the United States. Talk to your doctor for personalized advice about what immunizations or boosters you need.
Do I need a flu shot every year?
Annual flu shots are highly recommended, especially for children, patients over 65, and anyone who works with the public. The flu virus mutates — changes — rapidly, and is different from year to year. Every year a new flu shot is available to defend you against the most recent flu virus.
Call Healthy Life Family Medicine or make an appointment online today if you or any member of your family is due for a vaccination.
