4 Essential Vaccines Every Woman Needs
A common myth amongst Singaporeans is that vaccination is primarily for travellers. This belief resulted in a low immunisation rate in Singapore, with less than twenty per cent for adults and less than ten per cent for those aged fifty to sixty-nine. Contrary to what many Singaporeans believed, vaccination is essential, especially for ageing people, to give them the best shot of long-term health.
Vaccination can protect women against certain preventable diseases. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention recommends women get an annual assessment for the risk of infections due to age, health, occupation, lifestyle, travel, and vaccination history. Here are some of the essential vaccines every Singaporean woman should take.
HPV or Human Papillomavirus Vaccine
Most cancers of the cervical are linked to the human papillomavirus or HPV. HPV can also lead to vulvar and vaginal cancers in women. This HPV vaccine Singapore is considered effective and safe.
Girls ages eleven or twelve should get the vaccination. Preferably, youths should get the vaccination engaging with a sexual relationship. However, women can still get vaccinated up until twenty-six years old.
Nevertheless, pregnant women and those with mild or serious diseases are not advised to take this vaccine. Also, women who are allergic to yeast, Latex or any substance in the vaccine should not take it.
The side effects of the HPV vaccine are often mild, involving redness, soreness or swelling around the injection area. Other potential side effects include dizziness, headache, vomiting, nausea, weakness and weariness.
Varicella or Chickenpox Vaccine
Chickenpox is a highly contagious illness caused by a virus known as the varicella-zoster. The disease can cause a blister-like and itchy rash, which initially appears on the chest, face and back, and then spreads over the whole body.
Varicella vaccine is particularly suggested for people ages fifty and above and is not recommended for expectant mothers. The CDC also particularly recommends non-pregnant women within the reproductive years to get the vaccine. Women who have never contracted varicella or have taken one of two vaccine doses should ask their doctor or recommended gynae in mount Elizabeth novena whether they need to receive the vaccine once more. Women preparing for conception should also ask their mount Elizabeth gynae about vaccines and immunisation against varicella.
Those who are allergic to varicella vaccine, gelatine or Neomycin should not get the vaccine.
MMR Vaccine
The MMR vaccines protect individuals against measles, mumps and rubella diseases and are considered effective and safe. Generally, people born after 1965 that have yet to get the vaccine should get at least one vaccine dose. Women who are international travellers or are working in the healthcare sector may need a second MMR vaccine dose.
The vaccine’s rubella portion prevent congenital rubella syndrome. Women within the reproductive age should get screened for immunity against rubella. Non-pregnant, non-immune women who have not taken the vaccine should get the vaccination. After a woman gets vaccinated with MMR, she needs to wait for a minimum of three months before conceiving.
Those who have reacted to gelatine, Neomycin or MMR vaccine (previously) should not receive the vaccination.
Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis Vaccine
Adults below the age of sixty-five, healthcare practitioners and any individual who handles infants should get Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis or Tdap vaccination and take the booster shots every ten years.
Women within the reproductive age should ensure their vaccines are recent. Pregnant women that have not taken the vaccination within the last ten years may require vaccination.
Those who are allergic to Tdap vaccines should not take them. Those who have shown Guillain-Barr syndrome should consult with their doctor before receiving the vaccination.
Conclusion
Vaccination can give women immunity against certain diseases, such as HPV and chickenpox. Hence, they should receive it whenever possible. However, pregnant women and those who are allergic to any of these vaccines or components within them should avoid taking them.
