Fall is slowly making its way into Alaska, and as the cold creeps in, my thoughts turn to getting my flu shot. As I get older, I find I need to think more and more about tracking my immunizations.
Cindy Hamlin, Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Program manager, says that keeping track of your recommended vaccines each year is one of the most important things you can do for your health.
For veterans at Alaska VA Healthcare, Hamlin says it is important to follow vaccine recommendations based on age, health conditions, lifestyle patterns, and even work conditions.
Immunizations do not 100% guarantee you will not catch a disease, but some are more effective than others, says Hamlin. For example, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that the new shingles vaccine Shingrix is more than 90% effective at preventing the disease.