Vaccines

Vaccines (Flu Shot) are important for you.

Each year thousands of people in the United States suffer serious health problems from diseases that could be prevented by vaccines — some people are hospitalized, and some even die. People with asthma are at higher risk for serious problems from certain vaccine-preventable diseases.

There are many reasons why vaccines are especially important for people with asthma.

  • Patients with asthma are at increased risk of complications from the flu. That’s why getting an annual flu vaccine is important.
  • Asthma causes your airways to swell and become blocked with mucus which can make it hard to breathe. Certain vaccine-preventable diseases can also increase the swelling of your airways and lungs. The combination of the two can lead to pneumonia and other serious respiratory illness. That is why it is important to make sure you are up-to-date on your flu, pneumococcal, and Tdap (whooping cough) vaccines.

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