As you are getting ready to graduate, your mind is probably filled with final exams, summer plans, college or career next steps, travel and much more. It’s important to add one more critical thing to that list: getting vaccinated for the many diseases that are preventable.

Now is a great time to touch base with your parents and/or your healthcare provider about your immunization history. You can start by checking Nevada WebIZ. It’s important that you are fully up-to-date and that you have received the vaccines recommended and/or required for college such as MMR, Tdap, HPV, and an annual flu vaccine.

It is also mandatory to have received the Meningitis (MenACWY) vaccine if you will be attending a Nevada University, such as UNR or UNLV. Many other colleges and universities require this vaccine, check with the student services office. Experts also recommend that you discuss the Meningitis B vaccine with your healthcare provider, as it’s the most common cause of meningococcal disease in your age group.  There have been recent outbreaks as close as University of Oregon and University of California, Santa Barbara. Protect yourself as well as others from this debilitating disease.

Are you headed to work or travel? There are still recommended vaccines depending on your occupation or where you are traveling. The CDC is the best resource for current recommendations. It’s critical for all young adults to continue the simple protection of being up-to-date on your vaccines as many diseases are still just a plane ride away; and protection from some childhood vaccines can wear off over time.

If you discover you need to get vaccinated, check http://vaccine.healthmap.org/ and enter your zip code to find vaccines at a location close to you. Or you can visit our Where to Go page for locations across Nevada. If you have been fully vaccinated, great job! It is still recommended to get a flu shot each year. Make sure you ask the student health center, your employer, or local pharmacy when flu shots will be available, typically this happens in early fall.

Taking the time to get up to date now is the best way to stay healthy down the road. Check out Healthy Young NV for more resources and information!