From measles outbreaks in nearby New York state to anti-vaccine groups protesting in California over new legislation, vaccines and immunizations are a hot topic across the United States of America. This wave of information prompts questions among the public such as:

As community healthcare providers, the team here at Sheehans feels that it is extremely important to separate fact from fiction so that you, as our valued customer, can make an INFORMED and ACCURATE decision.

Vaccination Information

Are vaccines safe and effective?

Yes. Vaccines have been scientifically proven to be safe and effective over and over throughout clinical trials as well as post-marketing analysis. They are given to millions of people across the US and globally and are held to extremely high health and safety standards.

Before a vaccine is ever given at your local pharmacy, it must go through strict testing and evaluation in the laboratory to answer questions such as:

Is this vaccination safe?
What dose (amount) works best?
How does the immune system react to it?

After approval, vaccines are further monitored for safety and efficacy by multiple agencies.

Should I immunize myself and family? Does Sheehans Provide immuniations?

To make it short and sweet, the answer is undoubtedly YES. Not only should you get vaccinated for diseases such as the flu, pneumonia, and shingles, but your entire family should as well!

Why is it crucial that your whole family get vaccinated? Well, because of a concept called “herd immunity”. As per the CDC,

“Germs can travel quickly through a community and make a lot of people sick. If enough people get sick, it can lead to an outbreak. But when enough people are vaccinated against a certain disease, the germs can’t travel as easily from person to person — and the entire community is less likely to get the disease.”

Herd immunity protects those who cannot be vaccinated, such as those with allergies or weakened/failing immune systems like the elderly or those with HIV/AIDS. It also protects infants who are not old enough to receive vaccines yet.

Furthermore, here at Sheehans we offer a wide variety of vaccines for you and your family. Our pharmacists are able to immunize anyone 18 years and older with the following vaccines:

Influenza (Flucelvax® for those younger than age 65 and FLUAD® for those aged 65 or older)
Pneumonia (Prevnar 13® and Pneumovax 23®)
Shingles (Shingrix®)

Should you not see a specific vaccination on this list that you are interested, please call one of our pharmacists today to ask about options!

Are any of the beliefs of anti-vaccine groups truthful?

From vaccines and autism to dangerous ingredients, myths surrounding vaccines that are shared on Facebook and social media by anti-vaccine groups are either completely false or are rooted in confusion.

Let’s address a few myths surrounding some vaccines. If your question isn’t listed below, please feel free to contact the pharmacy and we will happily answer it! All of the following questions will have their sources cited for further reading should you be interested.

Should you have any more questions we can answer, feel free to reach out to us here at Sheehans Pharmacy!