The Centers for Disease Control advises adults to get a veritable laundry list of vaccines.

Two of them, flu and measles immunizations, have made headlines recently because of controversial refusal by large numbers of people not to get them.

By and large, many Americans are confused about which vaccines they need. The fact is, not all vaccines are created equal.

“In general, Americans take too many vaccines, and they may be damaging their immune systems and increasing their risk of many chronic diseases,” says Erika Schwartz, M.D., chief medical officer at the Age Management Institute in New York City.

The flu vaccine was a failure this season. U.S. health officials say it was only about 19 percent effective. British health officials, however, put the figure even lower, at only 3 percent.

Still, U.S. officials were pushing the flu shot as late as February, promising that it still offered protection.

As measles spread after an outbreak in California, many Americans were surprised to learn that the CDC recommended booster shots for adults who had received the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine as children.

Only those who had actually been stricken with measles had received lifetime protection and didn’t need a booster.

So, what vaccinations do you really need?

Dr. Schwartz, author of Healthy Balance, a monthly health newsletter, has modified her opinion on vaccinations over time.

“Twenty years ago when I was practicing internal medicine, I would give flu shots to hundreds of people,” she tells Newsmax Health.

“Today, with the knowledge I have accumulated and the information from the CDC clearly stating that flu vaccines are nothing more than a statistical guess and looking at how ineffective it is, I would not prescribe it or take it.”

Here’s her advice regarding common vaccines:

Flu: A few people, such as healthcare workers, should consider taking a flu shot. Others likely don’t need it. “The only people who definitely benefit from flu vaccines are the drug manufacturers,” she said.

Tetanus: Many doctors say they’ve never seen a case of tetanus (lockjaw) in their entire medical careers, which makes getting the vaccine a needless risk. “I haven’t seen a single case in the 40 years I’ve been practicing medicine,” says Dr. Schwartz.

Shingles: This extraordinarily painful rash is triggered by the same virus that causes chickenpox in childhood. The virus resurfaces as shingles later in life. Studies show the vaccine reduces shingles risk by 50 percent. “Older patients who have recurring episodes of shingles may benefit from this vaccine,” says Dr. Schwartz.

Pneumonia: “Older people who have immunological or chronic diseases should consider getting this immunization,” says Dr. Schwartz.

Meningitis: The only time the vaccine for meningitis is necessary is for young people living in close quarters such as college dorms, boarding schools, and camps, where the disease has been known to spread, according to Dr. Schwartz.

MMR (measles, mumps, rubella): “There’s no reason for adults to get an MMR vaccine,” says Dr. Schwartz. “Individually, the diseases are not that terrible, and the risk of getting really sick is very low.” Children routinely need the MMR vaccine to be admitted to school, so there is not much choice in the matter for them.

HPV: The controversial HPV vaccine protects against the human papillomavirus that’s linked to cervical cancer. “HPV is like the common cold and the risk of getting cancer is minimal at best,” Dr. Schwartz says.

“This vaccine is a big hoax, and giving it to everyone is overkill. If you have no access to regular checkups and Pap smears and are promiscuous, you may benefit from it. That’s about it.

“Before taking any immunization, you should weigh your risks, consider the benefits, your personal situation, and make an informed decision.”


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