Vaccines for Adults

Vaccines play a big role in keeping you healthy. By following your doctor's recommended vaccination schedule you not only protect yourself from disease but those around you. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the following vaccinations for adults:

COVID Vaccine
The CDC has specific COVID-19 vaccination recommendations for children and adults. Visit their website for the most up-to-date information.

HPV
Adults 18 to 26 should ask their doctor about the HPV vaccine if they didn't receive it as a preteen. This vaccination protects against the types of human papillomaviruses, a sexually transmitted infection that causes cervical cancer, ana cancer and genital warts.

Influenza
All adults need an annual flu shot, which should be administered in the fall before flu season peaks in February. This vaccine is especially important for people with chronic health conditions, pregnant women and adults older than 60.

Pneumonia
The CDC recommends all adults 65 and older receive the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine or PPSV23. Your doctor may recommend you schedule the vaccine before 65 if you smoke or have certain chronic health conditions, including heart disease, diabetes or asthma.

Shingles
Adults 50 or older are advised to receive two doses of the shingles vaccination. Vaccination is the only way to protect against shingles as well as its most common complication, postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). PHN is a debilitating, long-term nerve pain at the rash site, even months to years after the condition has cleared up. However, the CDC reports the two-dose Shingrix vaccine is 90% effective at preventing shingles and PHN.

Tdap
You should get the Tdap vaccine if you did not receive it as an adolescent. This vaccine protects you against pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus and diphtheria. Those who have received the initial vaccine should get a booster shot every 10 years. Pregnant women should get the Tdap vaccine between 27 and 36 weeks of their pregnancy. Whooping cough can cause pneumonia, seizures, brain damage and be deadly to infants, so everyone who cares for or spends time with an infant should also be vaccinated.

Additional Vaccines for International Travelers
Certain vaccinations could be required when traveling to different countries. Depending on your health history, occupation, and whether you frequently travel abroad, you may need additional vaccinations. These could include hepatitis, HPV or measles, mumps and rubella (MMR). To find out how to best protect your health, speak with your doctor. Proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 results may also be required to cross certain international borders. Most developed countries align with CDC vaccination recommendations.

Your doctor is the best source of information when it comes to deciding which vaccines are right for you. They'll be able to look at your health history, identify your risk factors and understand what activities you partake in.

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