Flu shot vaccine is just the start

A flu shot might not be the only vaccine you need. So says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Department of Health and Human Services. This year, the list is quite long.

Flu shot: Ideally you should get the shot by October. Flu will peak in December, but the vaccine takes a few weeks to start working and provide protection. There are two types: trivalent (three-way) and quadrivalent (four-way), plus an extra-strength trivalent for people age 65 and older.

Shingles: Shingles (herpes zoster) is a painful rash that we're hearing more about, or maybe we even know someone who's had it. Those of us over age 60 should get the vaccine, they say, whether or not we've had chickenpox. Protection lasts about five years.

Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis: This is usually in a combination shot, with Tdap and Td given to older adults. That stands for tetanus-diphtheria, as well as pertussis. Your doctor would need to figure out whether you need a booster, especially for tetanus if you work outside in the soil, which is where tetanus bacteria comes from.

Pneumonia: There are two types of vaccines for pneumococcal disease, but 90 types of pneumonia bacteria. Both vaccines protect against only a couple of dozen types, but either one is better than no vaccine.

The CDC has a short quiz you can take online that will tell you the vaccines you need. You can print it out and take it to your doctor to see if he agrees. Go online to www.cdc.gov and put "immunization schedule" in the search box.

To find locations that are giving flu shots in your area, go online to flu.gov and put your ZIP code in the search box.

(c) 2015 King Features Synd. Inc.