Vaccines for Adults

Vaccinations aren’t just for kids. As you get older, or get sick, or start a new job, or travel the world, you may need vaccines that you never needed before.

Some vaccines give you immunity for life to certain diseases. Some wear off. For instance, everyone needs a diphtheria and tetanus booster shots every 10 years.

Many adults in the US are not up-to-date with their vaccinations. That’s dangerous. In fact, vaccine-preventable diseases still kill thousands of people every ear in the US.

Some adults are at higher risk for diseases that vaccines can prevent. These people include the elderly, travelers to some foreign countries, healthcare workers, and people with some medical conditions.

Keeping track

It’s easy to forget your vaccination history. You may move or switch healthcare providers and lose track of your medical records. You may not remember the last time you were vaccinated.

Your doctor can help. He or she can give you any vaccination you might need. Once you’re back on track, keep a record for yourself.

Vaccines for Seniors

As you get older, your immune system isn’t as strong as it once was. Make sure you’re up-to-date with your tetanus, diphtheria, and other shots.

And, starting at age 50, you need to get certain vaccines that you may not have needed before. The Centers for Disease control and Prevention (CDC) recommend:
  • From age 50, you need to get the flu vaccine every year, because flu viruses are always changing.
  • At age 65, you need one dose of the Pneumococcal vaccine.

Sometimes people don’t think that illnesses like the flu are serious. But, flu and Pneumococcal disease aren’t minor illnesses, especially for older people.

these vaccinations don’t protect you from all respiratory illnesses. Even if you get the vaccinations, you can get olds, other lung infections, and types of pneumonia.

Even with the flu vaccine, you may still get the flu. Or, you may get the flu if you’re infected with a strain of flu that is not covered in that year’s vaccine.

The nasal spray vaccine uses weakened, but live flu viruses. Because your immune system is weaker than it use to be, you may catch the flu from someone vaccinated with the spray. That’s why people, age 50 and older, should get the flu shot, which contains dead virus.