How Long Do Vaccines Last
The efficacy of various vaccines is now undergoing strong scrutiny after attacks were witnessed before the recommended protection period was over. This is a great concern not just for authorities and health experts, but also the general population which has always relied on the protection of vaccines for years.
The prospect of getting the flu vaccine and then going ahead to still catch the flu is not the kind of news that most people want to hear, especially when it comes to certain vaccines that are used to prevent potentially lethal diseases. But it should be known that the protection accorded by vaccines never last a lifetime, and it is for this reason that booster shots are always given.
Recent studies suggest that vaccines for diseases such as pertussis, mumps, yellow fever, and meningococcal disease may lose their efficacy faster than what has always been suggested by the official immunization recommendations. These vaccinations have been at the core of public health for decades, and it is very concerning for questions on their efficacy to arise at this time. It simply suggests that their durability was misunderstood, and millions of lives across the globe may already be at risk if at all the allegations on the efficacy are anything to go by.
It should be noted that vaccinations such as the flu shot and similar others are normally approved for use and they get into the market several years before it can be determined how long they will remain effective once used. After several years of use, the protection accorded by these vaccinations may start fading away since the vaccine shall have been used widely to stop the transmission of microbes it was designed to offer protection against. Though viruses and bacteria may still be in circulation, whenever a person gets a boost against them, their immunity will be naturally boosted against any potential infections.
In the research world, there is an increased effort by the researchers to try and figure out why some vaccines give protection only for a few weeks, while others give prolonged protection of up to a lifetime. Apparently, the researchers are still struggling to figure out the specific rules that need to be followed to come up with vaccines that will offer life-long protection. Over the years, a lot of vaccines have been in production with a small amount of information on immunology, and this is the reason why some people have had bad experiences when they visit a travel clinic for booster shots, only to realize that whatever they got was unable to help them. When it comes to vaccinations, however, a lot depends not on the diseases but the immunological memory the immune system is going to have about the attenuated version of the virus so that it can offer real protection in case of a real attack.
It is agreeable that the durability of vaccinations is still not understood, but it is now believed that the efficacy of vaccines is shorter than what has always been suggested. However, there are two essential vaccines – the tetanus vaccine and the diphtheria vaccine, where the durability is better than what has always been believed. Yet, the evidence is coming out from rarely successful vaccines that can boost the immunity for effective responses not just for decades, but an entire lifetime.
For example, the HPV vaccine has shown remarkable durability since it was first used over a decade ago. New insights about the durability and efficacy of vaccines are also giving researchers a reason to focus more on vaccine booster recommendations, and their impact on increasing the longevity of the vaccines after administration.
Recommended duration of immunity provided by various vaccines
When you visit a travel clinic for a recommended vaccination or booster shots for your travel, hopefully the shots will be sufficient to give you the protection you need during and after your trip. However, this is never the case, because as noted earlier, the efficacy of vaccinations varies greatly. However, it has been observed that the duration of the immunity will vary depending on the disease as well as the specific type of vaccine used. Below is a brief look at some of the durations of protection accorded by various shots-:
Pertussis – whooping cough – this is a vital vaccine usually administered to children between the ages of four and six years. Its duration for protection is believed to be seven years, though when the child gets to 11 years, another booster shot is recommended.
Diphtheria – the protection duration for this vaccine is ten years, though booster shots are recommended for adults between the ages of 45 years and 65 years.
Tetanus – the tetanus vaccine is believed to be 96% effective for the first 14 – 15 years, and 72% effective after 25 years. Booster shots are recommended if one has increased risks of getting the disease or for adults between the ages of 45 years and 65 years old.
Polio – the polio vaccine is 99% effective for at least 18 years and booster shots are recommended only to those traveling to high-risk areas.
Hepatitis B – this vaccine has a protection duration of over 20 years, and it is believed to accord lifelong protection to those who may have seroconverted.
Measles – the measles vaccination is believed to offer lifelong protection. However, community protection is highly recommended to prevent transmission of the disease to the young ones whose age doesn’t allow them to get the vaccination or those who are unable to get the vaccination.
Rubella – Rubella vaccines have a protection duration of between 15 – 20 years and will be 96% effective during this time.
Mumps – the duration protection for mumps is ten years, during which it will be 90% effective, though the efficacy will start wearing off after the first ten years.
Human papillomavirus – HPV vaccine may guarantee protection for up to 8 years.
This should be a brief guide on the kind of protection duration you can expect from some of the common vaccines. Be sure to check with your doctor if you need more information about certain specific vaccinations.