Hepatitis B
Although recommended for all children and teens, only at-risk adults usually get the Hepatitis B vaccine, including:- Persons with occupational risk, such as health care and public safety workers or anyone else who has exposure to blood in their workplace
- Clients and staff of institutions for the developmentally disabled
- Hemodialysis patients
- Recipients of certain blood products
- Household contacts and sex partners of HBV carriers
- Adoptees from countries where HBV infection is endemic.
- International travelers
- Injecting drug users
- Sexually active homosexual and bisexual men
- Sexually active heterosexual men and women
- Inmates of long-term correctional facilities
Hepatitis A
Although not usually as serious as hepatitis B or C, the Hepatitis A vaccine is recommended for:- persons over age 2 years who work or travel overseas in countries with a
- high rate of hepatitis A, such as Mexico and countries in Central or South America, the Caribbean, Asia (except Japan), southern and eastern Europe and Africa.
- persons with chronic liver disease
- persons who receive clotting factor concentrates
- street drug users
- sexually active homosexual and bisexual men
Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR)
This is another vaccine that is routinely given to children as part of the regular childhood vaccine schedule. Adults born in or after 1957 should receive a dose of MMR if they have never had one and don't have proof that they are immune. Women of childbearing age should also have a dose of MMR if they do not have proof of rubella immunity.Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine
Since adults are most at risk of complications of chickenpox, they should receive the chickenpox vaccine (2 doses 4-8 weeks apart) if they have never had chickenpox before or don't have proof that they are immune. Since many adults actually are immune to chickenpox even though they don't remember ever having had it, a blood test can be done to confirm their immunity and to see if they need the chickenpox vaccine or not.Chickenpox can be very serious in pregnancy, so if you are not sure if you have had chickenpox and you plan to have a baby, talk to your doctor about getting tested or receiving the vaccine before you begin trying to get pregnant. Remember that you will need two doses of the vaccine (Varivax), they must be given 4-8 weeks apart, and you should wait at least a month before getting pregnant after getting the chickenpox vaccine, so plan early.
