As an adult, you need to be protected against measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, diphtheria, pneumococcal disease, influenza and varicella. You may also need protection against hepatitis A and B. Your best protection against these diseases is immunization.
Many people think diseases like polio, mumps, and measles have been wiped out.
This is not the case. During 1995, at least 39 percent of all reported measles cases in the United States occurred in persons 20 years of age or older. If you were never immunized or never had these vaccine-preventable diseases, you are at risk. If you were immunized as a child, you may need updating because some immunizations lose their effectiveness over time. To find out what shots you may need or where to get immunizations, contact your doctor or local health department.