Female Vaccines
Female Vaccines are one of the safest and most effective ways to protect you, your family, and the community from potentially harmful diseases. While every medical procedure has risks, we feel that the benefits of vaccines strongly outweigh the risks of contracting one of the diseases from which they protect. Additionally, side effects are usually very mild like soreness and severe side effects are very rare.
We recommend that women get certain vaccines to stay healthy. While we do not require that adult women receive all the CDC recommended vaccines for treatment, we strongly encourage them. Additionally, we will regularly go over the recommended vaccinations with our patients to ensure they are up to date and staying healthy.
We can administer female vaccines at your wellness check or you can make a separate appointment. Below are important vaccines that women should consider. Please feel free to let us know about any of your concerns concerning vaccinations by giving us a call at (574) 251-1200 or contacting us online.
Flu Vaccine
The flu is a common respiratory illness that spreads quickly in the fall and winter months. As our body’s age, the flu can become a more serious illness. Therefore, we recommend that women should receive this vaccine each year to protect themselves from the flu.
MMR Vaccine
The MMR vaccine protects against Measles, Mumps, and Rubella. The measles cause fever, rash, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes. Similar to the measles, the mumps cause fever, headaches, muscle aches, tiredness, loss of appetite, and swollen salivary glands. Additionally, Rubella can be a serious illness for pregnant women and causes fever, sore throat, rash, headache, and red, itchy eyes. Therefore, the MMR vaccine is important to prevent all three of these diseases.
Td Vaccine
The Td vaccine is a tetanus booster shot. Tetanus can enter the body through cuts and wounds and cause painful stiffening to the muscles. Importantly, adults should receive this vaccine every ten years or after a severe wound or burn. If you have not received a Td vaccine or have a serious wound, call Primary Care Partners of South Bend to schedule your appointment.
Tdap Vaccine
We administer the Tdap vaccine to patients of all ages, including adults and pregnant women. The Tdap vaccine protects us against whooping cough which is a highly contagious respiratory disease that causes uncontrollable coughing and makes it hard to breathe. Therefore, we recommend that women receive this vaccine in their third trimester to protect their babies from whooping cough.
Varicella and Shingles Vaccines
Varicella, or chickenpox, is an itchy and uncomfortable rash that can spread throughout the body. Shingles is a similar condition found more often in women over 60. Because chickenpox and shingles are extremely common in the United States, we recommend that everyone who has not had the disease receives the vaccination. Although similar, 2 different vaccinations are necessary to protect against both diseases. Even if you have had chickenpox, you can benefit from a shingles vaccine.
HPV Vaccine
We give the HPV vaccination through 2 doses. First, we administer a dose around 11 years old and the second dose 6-12 months after. We recommend all women under 26 get the HPV vaccine. HPV, or human papillomavirus, is a sexually transmitted disease that is associated with cervical cancer. If younger women receive the HPV vaccines before they are exposed, it is more effective in preventing cervical cancer. Therefore, if you have not had the HPV vaccine, call Primary Care Partners of South Bend to schedule your appointment.
Female Vaccines for Travel
When traveling for work or pleasure, it is important for female travelers and healthcare workers to receive Hepatitis A and B vaccines. You may also need other vaccines depending on where you are traveling. For example, yellow fever is not a threat in Indiana, but in some travel destinations, it may be. The CDC provides a list of recommended vaccinations by country. Therefore, if you are traveling outside the country, contact Primary Care Partners of South Bend to learn if any additional vaccines could protect you on your trip.
If you have not received the recommended vaccines, call us at (574) 251-1200 or contact us online to schedule your female vaccines.
