Adults Need Vaccines, Too!
All adults should get vaccines to protect their health. Even healthy adults can become seriously ill, and can pass certain illnesses on to others. Immunization is especially important for adults 60 years of age and older, and for those who have a chronic condition such as asthma, COPD, diabetes or heart disease.
Immunization is also important for anyone who is in close contact with the very young, the very old, people with weakened immune systems, and those who cannot be vaccinated.
All adults should get:
- Influenza (flu) vaccine: Each year to protect against the seasonal flu.
- Td or Tdap: Every adult should get the Tdap vaccine once if they did not receive it as an adolescent to protect against pertussis (whooping cough), and then a Td (tetanus, diphtheria) booster shot every 10 years. In addition, women are also recommended to get the Tdap vaccine each time they are pregnant, preferably at 27 through 36 weeks.
The need for other adult vaccines – such as shingles, pneumococcal, hepatitis, HPV – depends on one’s age, occupation, travel, health status, and other risk factors.
Information provided by the National Public Health Information Coalition (NPHIC).
