Category: Education

Updated Vaccinations Guidelines for Adults

Fall 2023

CDC Vaccination Schedule for Adults (over age 19)

COVID-19

www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines

On September 12, 2023, the CDC recommended an updated formulation of the COVID-19 vaccine for everyone aged 6 months and older.    The main reason to get vaccinated against COVID-19 is to protect yourself against severe illness, hospitalization, and even death.   Being vaccinated may also protect against long-COVID.    This new vaccine is expected to provide better protection against the variants that are currently circulating (XBB lineage of the Omicron variant).

• You can get either Pfizer or Moderna vaccine no matter what you have received previously.
• You can get a COVID-19 vaccine at the same time as your flu vaccine.
  If you prefer to get them separately, wait at least a few days between vaccinations.
• We have updated COVID-19 vaccines in our office

Influenza (Flu)

www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/flushot.htm
getmyflushot.org

It is recommended that all individuals over 6 months of age get a flu shot annually.   While effectiveness can vary from year to year, getting a flu shot reduces the severity of illness if you happen to get the flu and, more importantly, significantly reduces your risk of hospitalization, ICU-admission and death.  Flu vaccination has also been shown to reduce risk of cardiac events.  It also protects the more vulnerable people around you from getting sick from the flu.

• Adults over 65 years of age should get a “high-dose” flu vaccine which is more effective.
• All current flu vaccines are safe for people with an egg-allergy.
• We have both types of flu vaccine in our office.

RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus)

www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/rsv/public/older-adults.html

RSV  is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. Most people recover in a week or two, but RSV can be serious. Infants and older adults are more likely to develop severe RSV and need hospitalization.

• Adults 60 years old and older are eligible for a single dose of the RSV vaccine
• Talk to your provider to determine if the RSV vaccine is appropriate for you
• We recommend getting the RSV at least 2 weeks apart from any other vaccine.
• You need to get the RSV vaccine at a pharmacy.

Shingles (Shingrix)

You need to get the RSV Shingrix vaccine at a pharmacy.

It is recommended for all adults over age 50 to get 2 doses of the shingles vaccine to reduce the severity and any complications related to shingles, including postherpetic neuralgia which can be a long and debilitating condition.

• Anyone who has had chicken pox is at risk for getting shingles.
• You can still get the shingles vaccine even if you are not sure if you had chicken pox.
• You should still get the Shingrix shingles vaccine, even if you had the old Zostavax shingles vaccine years ago.
• You need to get the RSV vaccine at a pharmacy.

Pneumonia

 www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/pneumo/index.html

Vaccines protect against pneumococcal disease, which is caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria.   This bacteria can cause serious-illness, including pneumonia, which can results in hospitalization and death.    It is recommended that all adults over age 65 and those with underlying lung disease (asthma, COPD, smokers), receive pneumonia vaccines.

• There are 2 types of pneumonia vaccines available. Talk to your provider to determine which vaccines are appropriate for you.
• We have both types of pneumonia vaccines in our office.

Tetanus

www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/tetanus/index.html

Tetanus is an infection caused by Clostridium tetani bacteria which is found in dirt and can cause serious illness and even paralysis.   It is recommended that all adults should get a tetanus booster every 10 years.

• We have tetanus vaccines in our office.

Medicare may not cover routine tetanus vaccines, in which case the vaccine can be given at a pharmacy.

What are Group Visits?

Group visits are a way for patients and providers to connect in ways beyond the typical office visit. They consist of a group education session on a specific health topic, along with a one-on-one evaluation with your provider. During these sessions, you will have time to learn more about how to manage common health issues, discuss directly with our registered dietician about how to use food as medicine, as well as connect with other individuals to share and inspire new healthy goals together.

Typically a group will consist of 5-10 individuals, with the session lead by a clinical provider and our registered dietician.

Our goal is to provide an educational experience, followed by an open discussion, aimed at making positive lifestyle changes. You will be given supportive material each week, along with attainable goals to help you see meaningful change right away.

Is this covered by insurance?

Group visits are billed to your health insurance as a primary care visit. Patients should expect to be responsible for any associated co-pay, co-insurance or deductibles.

How do you ensure privacy?

Respecting privacy and confidentiality is extremely important to us. Group discussions are confidential and all participants will be asked to sign a confidentiality consent agreement prior to participation. Telemedicine sessions are conducted via a secure and HIPPA-compliant platform and sessions are closed meaning participants must be approved by the host to enter. Group visits are never recorded for public, private or internal use.

Wellness Education

We believe that patient education is the first step in an ongoing wellness partnership. Inspire Integrative
Medicine strives to provide educational resources for our patients so that you can gain valuable
information from our knowledgeable providers anytime on the topics that matter to you most.

Inspire Events

Inspire IM providers are proud to participate in wellness education events, whether here at our own
practice or in partnership with other local providers with whom we have a relationship. Frequent
wellness events may include:

-Group Nutrition Visits.
-Virtual Cooking Demonstrations.
-Panelist Participation at Wellness Seminars and Workshops.

Please check our events calendar below to find upcoming events that may be of interest to you.

You can access our public calendar via your web browser here or see the monthly view below!

Do I Need to Register for all Appointments in a Series?

Yes! The content presented each week builds into what you learned in previous sessions. Goals are set each session to help you implement key lifestyle changes as we progress through the series. In addition, we limit attendance for each series so we expect individuals to attend all sessions in a series.

How Do I Register?

Simply call our office at (410) 989-8833 to speak with our front desk staff to get registered for a series. We do not support online registration for group visits at this time.