Immunizations

Mercy Family Clinic

Family Medicine Practice & Medical Weight Loss Clinic located in Dallas, TX

Bacteria and viruses in the world around you spread many contagious diseases. These days, immunizations are available to protect you and your family from some of the most common — but preventable — diseases. Immunizations help prevent the spread of disease and promote wellness throughout life. At Mercy Family Clinic in Dallas, Texas, Ebere Azubuike, MD, provides immunizations to keep you and your family healthy. Find more information and make an appointment by calling the clinic today.

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Immunizations Q & A

What are immunizations?

The purpose of immunization is to protect you from a specific illness. When you get an immunization or vaccine, an inactive or weakened form of the disease enters your body. It stimulates your body to create antibodies to fight it, but it doesn’t actually make you sick.

Antibodies are specialized proteins within your immune system that fight disease and keep you healthy. Your body naturally creates them over time when you encounter diseases, but immunizations protect you without the side effects of getting sick.

The most common types of immunizations include:

Weakened live viruses
Inactive viruses or bacteria
Inactive toxins produced by bacteria
Proteins combined with bacteria

Babies are born with some antibodies passed down from their mothers. Babies and children don’t have many antibodies of their own because they haven’t encountered many germs. That’s why doctors administer immunizations when you’re young.

Why are immunizations important?

Immunizations are important to stop the spread of preventable diseases. They help keep you, your children, and the general population healthy.

Many diseases such as polio and measles were once a leading cause of death in childhood, and now they’re virtually nonexistent thanks to immunizations.

Getting vaccinated gives you immunity to a range of preventable diseases that you’re likely to encounter at some point in your lifetime. An immunization protects you for life.

What immunizations should my child get?

Many daycare programs and schools require that children get specific vaccinations. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has developed vaccination schedules for all children based on age, and the team at Mercy Family Clinic is here to help you determine which shots are right for your child.

Some immunizations require a series of shots to be effective. As your child grows up, their immune systems develop, and their immunization needs change. Consult your doctor to learn more.

Do adults need immunizations?

Babies and children should get vaccinations per the CDC schedule since immunization is most effective before a person comes in contact with a disease in the outside world. But that doesn’t mean that you’ll never need immunization as an adult.

Everyone over the age of six months should get an annual influenza shot to protect against the flu. If you travel across the world, you might need travel immunizations.

Certain diseases like malaria aren’t prevalent in the United States but can pose a severe health risk if you travel to other countries. Talk to the team to learn more about the right immunizations for your intended destination.

Find out what immunizations are right for yourself or your child with an appointment at Mercy Family Clinic. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call the clinic today.