With all the talk about the COVID-19 vaccines, there are other vaccines that our community needs to be aware of, to continue being healthy.
Dr. Rowland Reyna, the founder of HealthTexas, provided information about numerous vaccines that can benefit the health of adults, as well as new information regarding the COVID-19 Delta strain.
The following vaccines are recommended from HealthTexas:
1) Meningococcal vaccine: Geared toward younger adults, it is recommended for first-year college students living in residential housing, as well as for military recruits.
2) Human papillomavirus (HPV): For ages 9 to 26, this vaccine is one that can help prevent cervical cancer. It is also recommended for people who are older and extremely sexually active.
3) Tetanus (Td or Tdap): A booster is recommended every 10 years.
4) Flu shot: Recommended annually for those who are 50 and older, as well as those wishing to prevent getting the flu.
5) Herpes Zoster Vaccine: Recommended to those 50 and older to prevent shingles. Up to 30% of the population will get the shingles in their lifetime, experts say.
6) Age 65 Prexnar 13: Recommended to prevent infection caused by pneumococcal bacteria. One year later, the pneumococcal vaccine is recommended.
7) COVID-19 – the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends everyone ages 12 and older get the vaccine.
“These are recommendations for the general population,” Reyna said. “There are (others) with special conditions, where they have a weakened immune system, and diseases such as HIV, chronic kidney disease, cancer, transplant spleen remove and others: (You should) talk to your doctor.”
Reyna went on to answer a couple of frequently asked questions:
Should all vaccines be done with a primary care physician? If not, should we still tell our primary care physician that we received a vaccine? If yes, why?
“It is not critical to get vaccines done at your PCP’s clinic,” Reyna said. “But it is important to discuss and document your vaccination status. Vaccination clinics are abundant.”
Will there be another vaccine for the Delta virus or does the current COVID vaccine cover all variations of COVID? Is the COVID vaccine forever or will we have to get a vaccine annually for COVID, like the flu?
“This is not a specific vaccine for the Delta variant,” Reyna explained. “This virus will continue to mutate. At the present time, the current vaccine prevents Delta by 85%, but many people who have been vaccinated have gotten COVID, but generally not severe. There is a resurgence of COVID among the unvaccinated and those people are dying.”
If you are in need of a primary care doctor, HealthTexas has 17 locations to serve the San Antonio region, and the health group specializes in Medicare plans. All doctors are board-certified in internal medicine or family medicine.
To learn more about HealthTexas, click or tap here. Watch the video above for additional information.