Are you suffering from 'vaccine fatigue?'

Are you tired of getting shots? I am. And yet we still need immunizations, especially as winter approaches.

Vaccines not only save lives, but also protect us from serious illnesses, from everyday flu to shingles to cancer. Here's a brief guide to vaccines adults should consider; as always, talk to your health care provider about what's right for you.

COVID-19 vaccines

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends booster shots against COVID-19 every four to five months to reinforce immunity. And now the reformulated vaccine to fight the Omicron variant is available.

Cook County is seeing an average of 668 new cases of COVID a day, so it hasn't "gone away," no matter how we wish it would. Every day in the U.S. nearly 400 people die from COVID, which comes to 146,000 deaths a year. The CDC says COVID will remain a leading cause of death indefinitely.

Flu shot

I saw an alarming survey the other day that reported only 49% of Americans plan to get a flu shot this year, a clear sign of vaccine fatigue. A lot of people said they will mask up instead of getting a shot. Don't take the chance.

Just because people die of flu less often than from COVID doesn't mean flu isn't serious. The CDC estimates influenza has resulted in 12,000 to 52,000 deaths a year between 2010 and 2020. October is the best time to get your flu shot, and it takes about two weeks to become fully effective. If you're over 65, make sure you are receiving one of the three recommended vaccines: Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent vaccine, FluBlok Quadrivalent recombinant flu vaccine and Fluad Quadrivalent adjuvanted flu vaccine.

Tetanus/pertussis vaccine

Every adult should get a Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis) vaccine once if they didn't have it as an adolescent to protect against pertussis (whooping cough). Then, every 10 years after that, a Td (tetanus, diphtheria) booster is recommended. If you're pregnant or going to become a grandparent, be sure to get this shot to protect the baby.

Shingles vaccine

Almost one in three people in the United States will develop shingles in their lifetime. Also known as herpes zoster, shingles is a viral infection that typically causes a painful blistering rash, and if you've had it or know someone who has, you know how painful it can be.

It usually affects older adults or people with weakened immune systems who had chickenpox in childhood. The rash typically appears on one side of the face or body and lasts two to four weeks. A possible consequence of shingles is a chronic, often debilitating pain that can linger after the rash clears up.

Pneumococcal vaccines

Another consequence of a weakened immune system is vulnerability to pneumococcal disease, any infection caused by bacteria called Streptococcus pneumoniae. Pneumococcal infections can range from ear and sinus infections to very serious, sometimes fatal, pneumonia and bloodstream infections.

Hepatitis B vaccine

Hep B is a potentially life-threatening liver infection that can lead to liver failure, cirrhosis and even liver cancer. The CDC recommends all adults ages 19 to 59 receive the hepatitis B vaccine. The vaccine also is recommended for adults 60 and older who are at risk, for example health care workers, sexually active people and illicit drug users.

HPV vaccine

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common virus that can cause cervical and other cancers, which may take years to develop. The Food and Drug Administration has approved the HPV vaccine Gardasil 9 for males and females ages 9 to 45.

Common side effects

Fear of side effects is one of the major factors in "vaccine hesitancy," but serious side effects are extremely rare. Most side effects are mild and go away quickly on their own. You may feel pain, swelling or redness at the injection site; mild fever, chills, fatigue, headache or muscle aches.

If you're feeling crummy after a shot, it might help to know that the side effects may be a sign your body is creating immunity.

Keeping track of your shots

One of the things I find with vaccines is that people forget what they had, or when they had them. This is where the electronic patient portal your health care provider uses comes in handy because it will keep track of your immunizations and tell you when it's time to ask for (yet) another one.

I also recommend, as part of your pre-prepared health information you take to a doctor's appointment or the emergency room, that you list your immunizations because it could help rule out certain diagnoses.

Now, roll up those sleeves!

• Teri Dreher is a board-certified patient advocate. A critical care nurse for 30+ years, she is founder of NShore Patient Advocates (www.NorthShoreRN.com). She is offering a free phone consultation to Daily Herald readers; call her at (847) 612-6684.