Reminder: which diseases should adults get revaccinated against?
Karin Antoniuk, head nurse at Meliva's Jalgpalli clinic, explains which vaccinations adults should get, or repeat, as booster doses.
From age 25 onwards, it’s sensible for everyone to review when and against what they’ve been vaccinated, and which vaccines need a booster dose.
“Vaccination gives the body antibodies that help prevent infectious diseases from taking hold. Over time, though, immune memory can fade, and the body can ‘forget’ how to build protection against a disease. That’s why, depending on the vaccine, a booster dose may be needed at certain intervals,” explained Karin Antoniuk, head nurse at Meliva’s Jalgpalli clinic.
Where can you find information about vaccines you received as a child?
Digital records of vaccinations began in Estonia in 2010. Information on vaccines given since then is visible through the national health portal, which also lets you track when booster doses are due. To find earlier records, it’s worth digging out your paper vaccination passport. Your family doctor should also have information on your vaccination history.
You can also get a rough sense of which vaccines you’re likely to have received based on your birth year, by looking up the national immunisation schedule that was in effect at the time. “If someone isn’t sure which vaccines they’ve had, it’s always possible to determine this through further testing as well,” Antoniuk noted.
Which diseases require repeat vaccination?
For people born before 1993, Antoniuk recommends considering an MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) booster dose. She also reminds people that a booster for diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough is needed every ten years.
Adults are also advised to get a new flu vaccine dose every year. “Since the virus has multiple strains that mutate continuously, the composition of the flu vaccine is also reviewed each season. Repeat vaccination provides the best protection against flu,” Antoniuk noted.
Vaccination is especially important for people in higher-risk groups: those over 65, people with chronic conditions or immune deficiencies, and pregnant women. Vaccination is also recommended for both women and men who are planning to start a family. People working in the social care, healthcare, service, and education sectors should also pay closer attention to their vaccination status.
Vaccination is the only protection against tick-borne encephalitis
With summer approaching, it’s also a good time, given conditions in Estonia, to check when you last received a tick-borne encephalitis vaccine dose. Vaccination consists of three doses. “The first two doses are given one to three months apart, and the third a year later. After that, depending on age, a booster dose is needed every three to five years,” Antoniuk explained.
She also stresses that delaying a booster dose can reduce protection, and it’s better to stick to the vaccination schedule as planned. “If a vaccination course has been left incomplete, it’s worth contacting your family doctor to put together a plan for continuing it,” Antoniuk advised.
