An in-depth look at why immunization is important with yYoung.
How well do you think Canadians are protected against preventable diseases by vaccination? For example, diseases such as the flu, tetanus, whooping cough, pneumonia and meningitis?
An alarming statistic of 88% of people who participated in the 2016 adult National Immunization Coverage Survey (NICS) believed they were up-to-date on their vaccinations. At the same time, only 3% of respondents reported having received the correct number of vaccines for their age/risk group. Many adults have missed one or more of their vaccines as a child or have not received their booster dose to increase immunity against many diseases.
The Government of Canada has taken an exhaustive analysis of the Vaccine uptake in Canadian adults. Click here for the highlights from the 2016 adult NICS.
Tetanus and Pertussis
Only 10% of adults reported receiving a booster dose of the Tetanus Vaccine after 18 years of age. An important fact to note is to receive the full benefits; a booster dose is required every ten years for continued protection.
All adults should receive one booster dose for the Pertussis Vaccine (for Whooping Cough) if they have not previously been immunized in adulthood. Immunization is essential for adults who have regular contact with infants.
Influenza Vaccine
Regarding those aged 65+, vaccine coverage dropped from 71% in 2006 to 65% in 2016, while those with high-risk conditions aged 18-64 remained at 41% coverage in 2006 and 2016. These are just some reasons that vaccinating is essential. The flu can turn into pneumonia quickly, and for anyone who is immunocompromised or atopic could potentially be fatal.
Pneumococcal Vaccine
For the pneumococcal vaccine, 42% of adults 65 years of age and older reported being vaccinated. This vaccine helps protect against pneumonia, meningitis, and bacteremia.
How Can yYoung Pharmacy Help?
Did you know that our pharmacists are injection certified? We know that during this hectic time with covid, it may be challenging to obtain an appointment with your family doctor or even a walk-in clinic. In this respect, seeing a pharmacist for your vaccine will help with convenience for your lifestyle,
Our caring pharmacists thrive on building relationships directly with their patients to help achieve optimal health outcomes and impact patient care. They will go the extra mile to complete a comprehensive review of your immunization records to see what is required and what would best benefit you. Our pharmacists also evaluate any medical conditions you may have, factor in your lifestyle, and take other variables into account when creating your patient profile. This enables our staff to keep you and your family up to date with your routine vaccinations.
As mentioned earlier, a vaccine can minimize your chances of developing certain diseases such as shingles, pneumococcal infections, tetanus, and HPV. They protect you and those around you by limiting the spread. Vaccines help by providing long-term or lifelong protection against several common diseases. We offer a variety of vaccines for children and adults, including specific ones to help you stay healthy during and after travelling.
Some of the injectables offered at our pharmacy are:
· Hepatitis A, B
· HPV
· Zoster
· Inactivated Influenza (Flu shots)
· Pneumococcal Conjugate
· Meningococcal A, C, Y, W135
· Meningococcal B
· Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Polio
· Typhoid Fever
· Traveller’s Diarrhea and Cholera
· Measles, Mumps, Rubella
Our locations are accessible by transit (both are within walking distance from significant Skytrain lines) and driving. We are here to serve you and at your disposal. This means that the vaccines you and your family need could be right in your neighbourhood!
Contact our helpful staff to book an assessment. Contacting us allows us to identify if you require further evaluation from your physician and will enable you to ask questions and discuss eligibility. With the Covid pandemic still in effect, let us protect ourselves from any other diseases possible. We owe it to ourselves and our loved ones to be as safe as we can.