Adult Immunizations

Below is a full listing of the vaccinations being offered at select Rite Aid stores, as well as information about the diseases.

• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Influenza
• Human Papillomavirus
• Meningococcal Disease
• Pneumococcal Disease
• Shingles
• Tetanus
• Diptheria
• Pertussis

HEPATITIS A
Hepatitis A is a serious liver disease caused by a virus found in the stool of an infected person. It is usually spread by close personal contact and sometimes by eating contaminated food. It can also be spread by drinking contaminated water. Hepatitis A can cause flu-like symptoms, yellowing of the skin and eyes, severe stomach pain and diarrhea. People with hepatitis A often have to be hospitalized.
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HEPATITIS B
Hepatitis B is a serious liver disease caused by a virus. The hepatitis B virus is spread through contact with the blood and other bodily fluids of an infected person. About one third of people who are infected with hepatitis B in the United States don't know how they got it. The hepatitis B virus can cause short-term illness that includes: loss of appetite, diarrhea, vomiting, tiredness, yellow skin or eyes, and pain in muscles, joints and stomach. It can also cause long-term illness that includes liver damage and liver cancer. Each year, it is estimated that 80,000 people, mostly young adults, get infected with the hepatitis B virus.
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Influenza ("Flu")
Influenza is a contagious disease that affects at least 10% of the population annually. It is caused by the influenza virus, which spreads from person to person through coughing or sneezing. Other illnesses have the same symptoms and are often mistaken for influenza, but only the influenza virus can cause influenza.

Influenza symptoms include fever, sore throat, chills, fatigue, cough, headache and muscle aches. Influenza kills about 36,000 people each year in the United States, most of them elderly.
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HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS (H.P.V.)
H.P.V. is the most common sexually transmitted virus in the United States. About 20 million people in the U.S. are infected, and about 6.2 million more get infected each year. H.P.V. is spread through sexual contact and can cause cervical cancer in women. Every year in the U.S., about 10,000 women get cervical cancer and 3,700 die from it. It is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women around the world.
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MENINGOCOCCAL DISEASE
Meningococcal disease is a serious illness caused by bacteria. It is an infection of the fluid surrounding the brain and the spinal cord. Meningococcal disease also causes blood infections that can lead to meningitis.
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PNEUMOCOCCAL DISEASE
Pneumococcal disease is a serious disease that causes sickness and death. In fact, pneumococcal disease kills more people in the United States each year than all other vaccine-preventable diseases combined. Pneumococcal disease can lead to serious infections of the lungs (pneumonia), the blood (bacteremia), and the covering of the brain (meningitis).
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SHINGLES (HERPES ZOSTER)
Shingles is caused by the Varicella Zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. Only someone who has had a case of chickenpox - or has gotten chickenpox vaccine - can get shingles. The virus stays in your body and can reappear many years later to cause a case of shingles.

Shingles is a painful skin rash, often with blisters. It is also called Herpes Zoster. A shingles rash usually appears on one side of the face or body and can last 2-4 weeks. The main symptom is pain, which can be quite severe. Other symptoms of shingles can include fever, headache, chills and upset stomach.

Shingles is far more common in people 60 and older than in younger people. At least 500,000 people a year in the United States get shingles.
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TETANUS, DIPHTHERIA AND PERTUSSIS
Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis are all caused by bacteria. Diphtheria and pertussis are spread from person to person. Tetanus enters the body through cuts or wounds.

Tetanus (Lockjaw) causes painful tightening of the muscles, usually all over the body. It can lead to "locking" of the jaw so that it becomes difficult to open the mouth or swallow. Tetanus leads to death in up to 2 cases out of 10.
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Diptheria causes a thick covering in the back of the throat. It can lead to breathing problems, paralysis, heart failure and even death.
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Pertussis (Whooping Cough) causes severe coughing spells, vomiting and disturbed sleep. It can lead to weight loss, incontinence, rib fractures, pneumonia, hospitalization due to complications and fainting from violent coughing.
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