5 reasons to keep your vaccination book up to date

The Unified Health System (SUS) offers the Brazilian population free access to various vaccines. Even so, many people fail to attend health centers to update their vaccination booklet, especially in adulthood – which favors the occurrence of diseases in all age groups.

Therefore, it is worth emphasizing that it is not only children who need to be vaccinated. According to the Ministry of Health, from the age of 20, it is necessary to be immunized at least against measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B, yellow fever, diphtheria and tetanus. Therefore, we list below 5 reasons for you to take all these vaccines and keep your immunization up to date:

1. Protects you from disease

Vaccination is one of the main ways to prevent diseases, including life-threatening diseases such as hepatitis B, tuberculosis, polio and measles. Proof of this is that immunizers prevent up to 3 million deaths per year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

It is therefore important to take all the vaccines recommended for your age and/or group, always checking your vaccination card to find out when you need to take a new dose. “Antigens are studied to prevent diseases in a certain time interval. If the person does not take the booster, they are less protected”, explains infectious disease specialist Rodrigo Lins, from the Society of Infectious Diseases of the State of Rio de Janeiro.

2. Help those around you

What many people also forget is that vaccination increases the chances of eradicating a disease, because the more individuals vaccinated, the fewer the infected and the lower the chances of transmission.

This factor is also related to the importance of being vaccinated against diseases that have already been eliminated in Brazil, so that they do not re-emerge through tourists and immigrants.

In other words: taking a vaccine is a gesture of citizenship, after all, when you make this choice, you are not only preserving yourself, but also protecting children and people who cannot be vaccinated by medical recommendations.

3. Increases immunity

Consistent vaccination from childhood also results in an overall improvement in immunity. “With this habit, you train the immune system to better react to the diseases that vaccines seek to combat and also to other threats”, explains infectious disease specialist Rodrigo Lins.

Therefore, it should be understood as one of the practices necessary for maintaining a healthy life, as well as exercising and following a balanced diet.

4. Reduces healthcare expenses

Have you ever stopped to think about how much you spend when you get sick? Depending on the illness and the severity of your general condition, it may be necessary to buy several medicines, go to the doctor many times and sometimes even spend a few days in hospital. By getting vaccinated, you have the chance to avoid all this waste of time and money.

5. Decreases antibiotic resistance

Another advantage is to combat bacterial resistance to antibiotics. This is because vaccination helps to avoid infections and, consequently, the prolonged use of medicines, reducing the possibility of microorganisms creating resistance to them.

Therefore, if you do not have your booklet up to date, go to a vaccination post, Basic Health Unit (UBS) or a specialized laboratory so that vaccines are taken as soon as possible. And take advantage of this moment to schedule the application of the next doses.