Watch this short, fun video that will remind everyone why it's so important for adults to get vaccinated. Created: 12/16/2010 by National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), Office of Health Communication (OHC).
Date Released: 12/20/2010. Series Name: CDC Featured Podcasts.
[Announcer] This podcast is presented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC – safer, healthier people.
What you are about to see today are true crimes of disease. Disease that can affect any adult. Disease that can be found in your neighborhood. How can you protect yourself? Find out more about these diseases.
Take our first example: INFLUENZA. Nickname: the Flu. Sounds not too bad, but causes tens of thousands of deaths every year, and 250,000 hospitalizations—most in seniors. The flu can prey on anyone—even someone like Carol Johnson.
Carol has clearly taken time for her health today, but we also know that she got her yearly flu vaccine. It protects her all season and can keep her from spreading it to her new grand-niece. Influenza: successfully case closed.
Looks like that's one down. But there are some sly diseases that you may never have even heard of, like the sneaky pneumococcus. Funny word, deadly disease. Most folks don't know that it causes thousands of deaths every year and tens of thousands of serious cases. We’re talking about some truly bad bacteria, ones that can invade your blood, your lungs, or even your spine, causing septicemia, pneumonia, or even meningitis.
Meet Curtis Leon. Does he even know that these bacteria can cause diseases severe enough to take him out of the game, permanently? Curtis got his pneumococcal shot. Another deadly disease, foiled!
If you thought that was a funny name, this one's really no laughing matter. Herpes Zoster…it causes the painful shingles disease. Shingles isn't about your roof. This disease can affect your nervous system, your eyes, or even other organs, causing severe pain for weeks or even months.
Ann-Marie Oliver appears here to be taking care of herself. But does she know that her risk of shingles over her lifetime is one in three? Amazing. It looks like Ann-Marie's doctor already recommended the shingles vaccine, and she's protected. In fact, she convinced her sister and husband to get protected, too. Vaccine protection in action keeps her on the move. Shingles disease…case closed in its tracks.
Finally, we have to look at one more case: the missing TDap vaccine. It sounds like a dance…the TDap. But Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis are serious diseases that can be prevented. What Bill Akers doesn't know is that he can bring home pertussis to his new grandchild. Pertussis is a bad cough for grownups…but a serious, killer infection for babies. Could Bill have prevented bringing this home to his grandchild? [Announcer clears throat] What I meant was, Bill Akers was careful to make sure he was up-to-date on his TDap shot. His doctor helped protect not only him, but his new granddaughter, too. There you have it. Another case of prevention in action.
Stopping serious diseases before they start is what the Vaccine Scene Investigation is all about. Vaccines aren't just for kids; ask your doctor about what vaccines are right to protect you against serious diseases.
A message from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (C-D-C).
[Announcer] For the most accurate health information, visit www.cdc.gov or call 1-800-CDC-INFO, 24/7.