National Immunization Month
August is National Immunization Awareness month! There are a number of vaccines that can help to protect your health. The CDC recommends 4 vaccines for LGBT+ individuals: COVID-19, hepatitis, HPV and the flu. Most all insurance companies completely cover these vaccines. If you’re unsure of your vaccine status, speak with your primary care physician. If you’re a patient at the HELP Center, ask our medical providers at your next appointment to learn what options you have.
COVID-19
The vaccines are effective at protecting you against severe disease and death from variants of the COVID-19 virus, including the Delta variant.
The CDC currently recommends booster shots for individuals identified as high risk for COVID complications including: persons living with HIV, persons who have had organ transplants, and those who are immuno-suppressive medications.
Hepatitis A & B
Hepatitis A and B are serious diseases that affects the liver. Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men have a higher change of getting the virus. The CDV reports gay and bisexual men make up about 10% of new Hepatitis A and 20% of all new Hepatitis B infections in the United States. The hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccines can either be given separately or as a combination vaccine. Both are safe and effective at preventing these types of hepatitis infections.
How its spread
Hepatitis A: Ingesting the virus – even in microscopic amounts – through close personal contact, sex with an infected person, and eating contaminated food or drink.
Hepatitis B: Sharing needles, syringes, other equipment and surfaces used to prepare and inject drugs. The virus is also easily transmissible during sex.
Human Papillomavirus | HPV
HPV is the most common STI in the United States. Most sexually active people will contract HPV at some point during their lives. In most cases HPV will go away on its own and does not cause any health issues, but sometimes HPV can lead to genital warts and cancer.
Getting the vaccine is the best thing you can do to lower your chances of getting HPV. Vaccination can protect against diseases caused by HPV including cancer. The CDC recommends HPV vaccinations for everyone from age 11-26. Adults 27-45 may get the vaccine after consulting with a medical provider. However, the HPV vaccine will provide less protection to sexually active adults as they may already be exposed. The HPV vaccine is given as a three-dose series over six months.
Flu
The flu is a contagious respirator illness that can be mild to severe. A serious outcome from a server case can lead to hospitalization or death. Young children, older individuals and people with certain health conditions are at a higher risk of the serious complications the flu can cause.
The flu vaccine has proven to reduce flu related illness and the risk of serious flue complications. The CDC recommends everyone over 6 months old to get the flu vaccine every season. You should receive a single dose shot before the start of the flu season in the fall.
For more information:
CDC vaccine recommendations for Gay & Bisexual Men, CDC vaccine recommendations for Gay & Bisexual Women, CDC COVID-19, CDC Hepatitis A & B, CDC Flu, CDC HPV, CDC HPV Men,