Which Vaccines Do Adults Actually Need?

Childhood vaccine schedules are well known. Adult ones are not, and most people are behind on at least one.

Influenza is annual for everyone. COVID-19 boosters follow current recommendations, which change — ask at your visit. Tetanus (Td or Tdap) is every ten years, and Tdap once in adulthood if you’ve never had it.

At 50, shingles vaccination becomes recommended — two doses of Shingrix. Shingles is far more miserable than most people expect, and the risk of lasting nerve pain rises with age.

At 65, pneumococcal vaccination is recommended, sometimes earlier if you have diabetes, lung disease, or a weakened immune system. RSV vaccination is also now recommended for older adults.

Hepatitis B is recommended for adults with diabetes and several other conditions — frequently missed.

Bring your records if you have them. If you don’t, we can usually reconstruct what you need from the state registry and your history.