The US Centers for Disease Control has warned that adults, even young, healthy ones, are vulnerable to serious and at times fatal diseases that could be prevented by simple immunizations. Dr. Dan Arnold, a primary care doctor at Emerald Physicians in Hyannis, said that many people have a misconception that vaccines are only for children.

Dr. Dan added that two of the most valuable immunizations for adults are the shingles vaccine and a combined diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough) booster.

According to the National Public Health Information Coalition, in 2013, just 24% of adults aged 60 and above had received a shingles shot and only 17% of adults older than 19 were vaccinated for DTAP. The coalition added that in the same way, only 215 of adults younger than 65 who are at high risk for complications from pneumococcal disease were vaccinated.

During August’s National Immunization Awareness Month, the coalition emphasized that as a result tens of thousands of adults, every year, unnecessarily suffer, are hospitalized, and even lose their lives due to diseases that could be prevented by vaccines.

As per the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, in the US around 50,000 adults die every year from vaccine-preventable diseases , over 200,000 are hospitalized only for influenza and its complications, mainly affecting those, who belong to the group of 65 and older.