Preventing and early detection of diseases help extend healthy life years, reduce illness, and premature mortality. Everyone can contribute to preventing avoidable diseases by changing their lifestyle habits, participating in health screenings, or using preventive health services.
Health check-ups for chronically ill patients, potential complications associated with diseases, or managing them are also important topics in prevention. The Health Insurance Fund has compiled information materials on disease risks and prevention options on the treatment guidelines page.
Vaccination is one of the best ways to maintain good health and protect yourself and your loved ones from infectious diseases. Vaccines provide protection against serious illnesses by stimulating the immune system to produce antibodies against specific bacteria or viruses.
Thanks to vaccines, the spread, incidence, and mortality of several serious diseases have been significantly reduced. Vaccination helps prevent disease onset, severe progression, and complications, and limits the spread of infection.
A vaccinated person may not get infected or may experience a milder illness, and the possibility of further transmission of the infection also decreases – this is especially important for at-risk groups and people with weakened immune systems who cannot always be vaccinated.
Many of us received vaccines in childhood, but their protective effect can diminish over time. Therefore, it’s important to regularly update vaccinations. For example, adults are advised to get diphtheria and tetanus booster shots every 10 years. Additionally, adults are recommended to be vaccinated against the following infections if they haven’t received the vaccine or haven’t had the disease:
Special vaccination recommendations apply to people who:
In such cases, prior consultation with an infectious disease doctor may be necessary. A referral for an appointment is given by a family doctor or a specialist. E-consultation is also available if needed.
If you plan to travel abroad, familiarize yourself with the vaccination requirements of your destination country. Some vaccines (e.g., against yellow fever) must be administered at least 10 days before travel and may require multiple doses.
NB! Travel medicine counseling is not offered at the Regional Hospital.
You can also find information about vaccination on the Health Board’s vaccination information page.
Every child’s body is protected by the immune system. It is within our power to strengthen this system, taking into account its specific characteristics. With the support of vaccines received in childhood, the body will be able to successfully fight pathogens and protect itself independently in the future.
Why start early?
Childhood vaccination starts early because some pathogens attack and cause severe forms of illness specifically in the youngest. While children mostly receive antibodies against these pathogens from their mothers, these antibodies disappear over time, and the young body needs support. For example, in the case of whooping cough, early vaccination is also due to anatomical peculiarities – children’s airways are narrower, and therefore they have a higher risk of dying from whooping cough.
Vaccines are tested.
All vaccines used in Estonia have undergone long-term and multi-stage clinical trials, and their effects are continuously monitored by the State Agency of Medicines and various international organizations such as the World Health Organization and the European Medicines Agency. Medical research is also regularly conducted by various scientific institutions.
An adult encounters thousands of pathogens every day. The immune system, which works continuously and unnoticed, provides protection against them. Vaccination helps the body recognize threats and confront them.
Vaccination results in immunity similar to that acquired after recovering from an infectious disease. This means that if the body later encounters the corresponding disease, it can destroy harmful microorganisms before they multiply massively. Thus, vaccination prevents the spread of infection.
The purpose of revaccination is to maintain a sufficient level of protective antibodies in the body to prevent infectious diseases.
The need for a booster shot depends on:
For all questions, it is advisable to contact your family doctor or a vaccination clinic. New booster shots will also be administered there if needed.
Vaccination should definitely be considered in the following cases:
Vaccination is voluntary. An important decision affecting quality of life should primarily be made based on evidence-based science.
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