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Vaccines for adults: Which do you need?
Vaccines offer protection from various types of infections and diseases, from seasonal flu to diphtheria. Understand which vaccines adults need and when to get them.
By Mayo Clinic staffYou're not a kid anymore, so you don't have to worry about shots, right? Wrong. Use this guide to find out which vaccines you need now and which vaccines might be coming up — based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Routine recommendations for healthy adults are listed by age. Read on for recommendations for special groups, such as people with chronic illnesses, and to learn more about each vaccine.
Ages 19 to 26
- Influenza vaccine once a year
- Tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine if not previously vaccinated, plus additional dose during pregnancy
- Tetanus-diphtheria toxoids (Td) booster every 10 years
- Varicella vaccine if not previously vaccinated or not immune
- Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine if not previously vaccinated
- Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) if not previously vaccinated or not immune
- Meningococcal vaccine for first-year college students living in residence halls if vaccine wasn't given on or after age 16
Ages 27 to 59
- Influenza vaccine once a year
- Tdap vaccine if not previously vaccinated, plus additional dose during pregnancy
- Td booster every 10 years
- MMR vaccine if not previously vaccinated or not immune
Ages 60 to 64
- Influenza vaccine once a year
- Tdap vaccine if not previously vaccinated
- Td booster every 10 years
- Zoster vaccine
Ages 65 and older
- Influenza vaccine once a year
- Tdap vaccine if not previously vaccinated
- Td booster every 10 years
- Zoster vaccine if not previously vaccinated
- Pneumococcal vaccine
Influenza
Influenza (flu) is a viral infection that affects the respiratory system. Potentially serious — even life-threatening — complications of the flu are possible. Yearly vaccination is recommended for all adults.
Get the flu vaccine each year in September or as soon as it becomes available. The vaccine can be given as a shot in the muscle or under the skin. It can also be given as a nasal spray in some cases. If you're pregnant, choose the flu shot — not the nasal spray, which contains the live, attenuated influenza vaccine. If you're age 65 or older, ask your doctor about a high-dose flu shot.
Don't get the flu vaccine if you've had a severe reaction to it in the past. Consult your doctor before getting the vaccine if you've had Guillain-Barre syndrome after a previous flu vaccination or you have a severe allergy to eggs. If you are moderately or severely ill — with or without fever — wait until you're recovered before getting the vaccine.
Pneumococcal disease
Pneumococcal disease is a potentially serious infection caused by a type of bacteria called pneumococcus. Pneumococcal disease can take various forms, including pneumonia and meningitis. Pneumococcus also causes infections in the bloodstream.
Get the pneumococcal polysaccharide (PPSV23) vaccine if you're 65 or older, or you have any of the following risk factors:
- You have a weakened immune system, including HIV infection.
- You have a chronic illness, including heart disease, asthma, lung disease, kidney disease, liver disease, sickle cell disease or diabetes.
- You've had your spleen removed.
- You live in a long-term care facility.
- You smoke or have alcoholism.
- You have cochlear implants.
If for any reason you received one or two doses of PPSV23 before age 65 years, you should get another dose of the vaccine at age 65 years or later if it's been at least five years since your previous dose.
People with weakened immune systems or chronic illnesses may need the PPSV23 vaccine and the pneumococcal conjugate 13-valent (PCV13) vaccine. Ask your doctor if this recommendation applies to you.
Don't get the pneumococcal vaccine if you had a severe reaction to a previous dose. Delay getting the vaccine if you're currently ill with an infection.
Tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis
Tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis are bacterial infections. Tetanus, sometimes called lockjaw, affects the nervous system, leading to painful muscle contractions — especially in the jaw and neck. Diphtheria is a respiratory disease that can lead to difficulty breathing, especially in children. Pertussis is commonly known as whooping cough and causes a persistent hacking cough.
Get the combined tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine if you haven't received the vaccine in the past or aren't sure if you've received it. Pregnant women should receive a dose of Tdap vaccine with each pregnancy, ideally between 27 and 36 weeks of pregnancy. All adults should have a tetanus-diphtheria toxoids (Td) booster every 10 years.
Don't get the Tdap vaccine if you had a severe reaction to a previous dose of Tdap or Td vaccine, or you experienced a coma or seizures within seven days of a previous dose of the vaccine. Delay getting the vaccine if you're currently ill. Consult your doctor before getting Tdap if you have epilepsy or you've had Guillain-Barre syndrome.
Meningococcal disease
Meningococcal infection is caused by a bacterium that can lead to meningitis, an inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms of meningitis include sudden fever, headache and stiff neck.
Get the meningococcal vaccine if:
- You're a first-year college student living in a dormitory and you didn't have a dose of the vaccine on or after age 16
- You're joining the military
- You travel to or work in areas where meningitis is common
- You've had your spleen removed
- A meningitis outbreak occurs in your community and public health officials recommend vaccination
Don't get the meningococcal vaccine if you had a severe reaction to a previous dose. Delay getting the vaccine if you're currently ill.
Varicella
Varicella, commonly known as chickenpox, is a highly contagious infection that causes a red, itchy rash. Complications can include bacterial infection of the skin, infection in the bloodstream, pneumonia and inflammation of the brain (encephalitis).
Get the varicella vaccine if:
- You didn't have the vaccine as a child or adolescent or you've never had chickenpox — especially if you're at high risk of being exposed to varicella or you have close contact with someone with a weakened immune system
- You aren't sure whether you've had chickenpox
- You're considering pregnancy and don't know if you're immune
Don't get the varicella vaccine if you had a severe allergic reaction to a previous dose, to gelatin or the antibiotic neomycin. You also shouldn't get the vaccine if you're pregnant or have a weakened immune system. Delay getting the vaccine if you're currently ill.
Next page(1 of 2)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) Recommended Immunization Schedules for Persons Aged 0 Through 18 years and Adults Aged 19 Years and Older — United States, 2013. MMWR. 2013;62:1. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm62e0128a1.htm. Accessed Jan. 29, 2013.
- Key facts about influenza (flu) and flu vaccine. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/keyfacts.htm. Accessed Jan. 30, 2013.
- Vaccines and preventable diseases: Who should not get vaccinated with these vaccines? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/should-not-vacc.htm. Accessed Jan. 30, 2013.
- Pneumococcal disease in-short. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/pneumo/in-short-both.htm. Accessed Jan. 30, 2013.
- Tetanus: Symptoms and complications. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/tetanus/about/symptoms-complications.html Accessed Jan. 30, 2013.
- Diphtheria in-short. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/diphtheria/in-short-both.htm. Accessed Jan. 30, 2013.
- Pertussis (whooping cough) — What you need to know. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/Features/Pertussis. Accessed Jan. 30, 2013.
- Meningococcal disease: Signs and symptoms. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/meningococcal/about/symptoms.html. Accessed Jan. 30, 2013.
- Chickenpox (varicella): Complications. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/chickenpox/about/complications.html. Accessed Jan. 30, 2013.
- Overview of measles disease. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/overview.html. Accessed Jan. 30, 2013.
- Complications of mumps. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/mumps/about/complications.html. Accessed Jan. 30, 2013.
- Rubella disease in-short (German measles). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/rubella/in-short-adult.htm. Accessed Jan. 30, 2013.
- Genital HPV infection — Fact sheet. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/std/HPV/STDFact-HPV.htm. Accessed Jan. 30, 2013.
- Hepatitis B FAQs for the public. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/B/bFAQ.htm. Accessed Jan. 30, 2013.
- Shingles (herpes zoster): Clinical overview. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/shingles/hcp/clinical-overview.html. Accessed Jan. 30, 2013.
- Types of infection Haemophilus influenzae can cause. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/hi-disease/about/types-infection.html. Accessed Jan. 30, 2013.
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