“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”, Benjamin Franklin. This can be especially true when it comes to preventive health care. Maintaining or improving your health is important – and a focus on regular preventive care, along with following the advice of your doctor, can help you stay healthy.
Preventive care focuses on maintaining your health and establishing your baseline health status. This may include immunizations, vaccines, physical evaluations, lab work, x-rays and medically appropriate health screenings with a medical doctor, dentist or other health professional. Some general guidelines are listed below1:
General Guidelines
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Preventive Service
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Frequency
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Age
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Wellness Exam
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Annual
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All ages
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Flu Shot
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Annual
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All ages over 6 months
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Immunizations
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As Appropriate
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All ages
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Colorectal Cancer Screening
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Varies based on type of screening
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Beginning at age 50
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Breast Cancer Screening
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Every 1-2 years based on standard risk
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Beginning at age 40
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Immunizations and vaccines are crucial to a healthy population. Immunizations are the number one public health achievement of the last century, saving millions of lives and preventing illness and lifelong disability in millions more. Many childhood diseases, now preventable by vaccines, often resulted in hospitalization, death or lifelong consequences only a few decades ago. Without immunizations, serious outbreaks of many of the diseases we are now protected from could reoccur2. Immunization and Vaccine Statements, produced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), explain both the benefits and risks of a vaccine to vaccine recipients and are available for a majority of the vaccines given today.
A local available resource on preventive healthcare are the health clinics in Farmington and Dakota County, as well as the nurses in each school building. Dakota County offers immunization clinics where adults and children can receive a variety of vaccinations for minimal or no cost (if eligible). For more information on preventive screenings, immunizations, flu shots, etc., please click on the resources below:
For more information on preventative healthcare, click on the resources below:
Immunizations and Vaccine Information Statements (VISs), produced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Influenza Basics, MN Department of Health
Dakota County Immunization Clinics
*Preventative Healthcare Guidelines, By Age
https://www.uhc.com/content/dam/uhcdotcom/en/HealthAndWellness/PDF/100-6807- Preventive-Care-Guidelines-all-ages.pdf
"Supported by the Statewide Health Improvement Partnership, Minnesota Department of Health and Dakota County Public Health Department"
References:
1. https://www.uhc.com/health-and-wellness/family-health/preventive-care
2. http://whyimmunizekids.org/