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Vaccine Information
for Adults
Key points
Vaccines are the best way to protect yourself and
your loved ones from preventable diseases.
The
vaccines you receive are safe. Vaccines may be
required at work, school, for travel or more
activities.
5 Reasons It Is Important for Adults to Get Vaccinated
1. Vaccines Have Saved Lives for Over 100 Years—But
Serious Disease Is Still a Threat
Vaccines have greatly reduced diseases that once
routinely harmed or killed babies, children, and adults.
People all over the world—including in the United
States—still become seriously ill or even die from
diseases that vaccines can help prevent. It is important
that you stay up to date on recommended
vaccines.
The protection some vaccines provide can fade over time,
and you might need additional vaccine doses (boosters)
to maintain protection. For example, adults should
receive a tetanus booster every 10 years to protect
against infection from dirty wounds. Talk to your health
care provider about vaccination to see whether you might
have missed any vaccines or need a booster.
2. Vaccines Are the Best Way to Protect Yourself and
Your Loved Ones from Preventable Disease
Did you know that vaccines are the best way to protect
yourself from certain preventable diseases? Vaccines
help your body create protective antibodies—proteins
that help it fight off infections.
By getting vaccinated, you can protect yourself and also
avoid spreading preventable diseases to other people in
your community. Some people cannot get certain vaccines
because they are too young or too old or they have a
weakened immune system or other serious health
condition. Those people are less likely to catch a
preventable disease when you and others around them are
vaccinated against it. Help protect yourself and the
people you love by staying up to date on recommended
vaccinations.
3. Vaccines Can Prevent Serious Illness
Some vaccine-preventable diseases can have serious
complications or even lead to later illnesses. For them,
vaccination provides protection not only against the
disease itself but also against the dangerous
complications or consequences that it can bring. Some
examples:
- Seasonal influenza (flu) is a respiratory virus
that sickens tens of millions of people every year
in the United States. The annual flu vaccine helps
you avoid infection and reduces your chances of
being hospitalized or dying if you do become
infected. Flu vaccine also protects you from
flu-related pneumonia and flu-related heart attacks
or stroke—complications that can affect anyone but
are especially dangerous for persons with diabetes
or chronic heart or lung conditions.
- Hepatitis B is a serious, potentially deadly
infection of the liver caused by the hepatitis B
virus (HBV). There is no cure, but vaccination
prevents HBV infection as well as the chronic liver
damage and cancer that hepatitis B can cause.
- Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a leading cause of
cervical cancer and can cause other cancers in both
women and men. HPV vaccine keeps you from being
infected with the virus or passing it to others,
protecting you and them from the immediate effects
of the virus as well as from the various cancers it
can trigger.
4. The Vaccines You Receive Are Safe
Vaccine safety is a high priority. CDC and other
experts carefully review safety data before recommending
any vaccine, then continually monitor
vaccine safety after approval.
Vaccines can have side effects, but most people
experience only mild side effects—if any—after
vaccination. The most common side effects are fever,
tiredness, body aches, or redness, swelling, and
tenderness where the shot was given. Mild reactions
usually go away on their own within a few days. Serious
or long-lasting side effects are extremely rare, and
vaccine safety is continually monitored.
5. Vaccines May Be Required
Certain vaccines are required for school, work, travel,
and more. Students, military personnel, and residents of
rehabilitation or care centers must be vaccinated
against diseases that circulate in close quarters.
Health care workers and others whose job puts them at
risk of catching and spreading preventable diseases need
to be vaccinated against them.
And, of course, vaccination is required before travel to
many places around the world. Because vaccination
protects you and those around you, vaccines can be
required for everyday activities as well as for
extraordinary situations. It is important that you stay
up to date on recommended
vaccinations
What Vaccines are Recommended for You
All adults need these routine vaccines
Everyone should make sure they're up to
date on these routine vaccines:
- COVID-19 vaccine
- Flu vaccine (influenza)
- Tdap vaccine (tetanus, diphtheria,
and whooping
cough) or Td vaccine (tetanus,
diphtheria)
You may need other vaccines, too
Review the sections below to learn what
other vaccines you may need based on:
- Age
- Life events, job, or travel
- Health conditions
Life Events, Job, and Travel
Pregnancy
Get the whooping cough vaccine during
each pregnancy
- Tdap vaccine — between 27 and 36
weeks of pregnancy to help protect
your baby against whooping cough
Make sure you're up to date on other
vaccines, too
- COVID-19 vaccine
- Flu vaccine especially if you're
pregnant during flu season, which is
October through May
- Hepatitis B vaccine
Talk with your ob-gyn or midwife to find
out which vaccines are recommended to
help protect you and your baby. Learn
more about Pregnancy
and Vaccination.
Healthcare workers
Vaccines you need
If you work directly with
patients or handle material that could
spread infection, you should get
appropriate vaccines to reduce the
chance that you will get or spread
vaccine-preventable diseases. All
healthcare workers should make sure
they're up to date on these vaccines:
- COVID-19 vaccine
- Chickenpox vaccine (varicella)
- Flu vaccine
- Hepatitis B vaccine
- Meningococcal vaccine –
especially lab workers who work
with Neisseria
Meningitidis
- MMR vaccine (measles, mumps,
and rubella)
- Tdap or Td
International travelers
Get vaccinated before you travel
The vaccines recommended or
required for an international traveler
depend on several factors, including
age, health, and itinerary.
Take these steps to make sure you are
prepared for your trip:
-
Make sure you are up-to-date with all recommended
vaccines. Talk with your healthcare provider and get any
vaccines that you may have missed.
-
Learn the recommended and required vaccines for your
destination.
- Get vaccinated at least 4 to 6 weeks
before your trip. Planning ahead
will give you enough time to build
up immunity and get best protection.
Find a travel clinic: Many
state and local health departments provide travel
vaccinations.
Immigrants, refugees and international
adoptions
Immigrants
Whether you are applying for an
immigrant visa overseas or for legal
permanent residence within the United
States, you need to meet the vaccination
criteria for U.S. immigration.
Refugees
Refugees are not required to
have vaccinations before arrival in the
United States, but you can start getting
certain vaccinations through the vaccination
program for U.S.-bound refugees.
International adoptions
- Adoptees 10 years of age and under:
Immigration law allows for adoptive
parents to sign an affidavit stating
they will be vaccinated after
arrival to the United States.
- Adoptees over 10 years of age:
Immigration law requires proof of
vaccination during the overseas
medical examination.
- Parents or close contacts traveling
internationally to adopt a child:
Make sure you are fully vaccinated
according to CDC's ACIP
recommendations. Some
vaccine-preventable diseases, such
as hepatitis A, are more common
in other countries than the United
States.
Health Conditions
Asplenia (without a functioning spleen)
Vaccines are especially critical for
people with chronic health conditions
such as asplenia to protect them from
vaccine-preventable diseases. Make sure
you're up to date on these vaccines:
- Hib vaccine (Haemophilus
influenzae type b)
- Meningococcal vaccines – both
MenACWY and MenB
- Pneumococcal vaccine
Diabetes, type 1 and type 2
People with diabetes (both type 1 and
type 2) are at higher risk for serious
problems, including hospitalization or
death, from certain vaccine-preventable
diseases. Vaccines are one of the safest
ways for you to protect your health,
even if you are taking prescription
medications. Make sure you're up to date
on this vaccine:
Heart disease, stroke or other
cardiovascular diseases
People with heart disease and those who
have suffered stroke are at higher risk
for serious problems or complications
from certain vaccine preventable
diseases. Other vaccine-preventable
diseases, like the flu, can even
increase the risk of another heart
attack. Make sure you're up to date on
this vaccine:
HIV infection
Vaccines are especially critical for
people with chronic health conditions
such as HIV infection. Vaccine
recommendations may differ based on CD4
count. Make sure you're up to date on
these vaccines:
- Hepatitis A vaccine
- Hepatitis B vaccine
- Meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MenACWY)
- Pneumococcal vaccine
- Shingles vaccine
If your CD4 count is 200 or greater: AIn addition to the vaccines listed above,
you may need these vaccines:
- Chickenpox vaccine – recommended
for all adults born in 1980 or later
- MMR vaccine – recommended for
all adults born in 1957 or later
Liver disease
Vaccines are especially critical for
people with health conditions such as
liver disease. Getting vaccinated is one
of the safest ways for you to protect
your health, even if you are taking
prescription medications for liver
disease. Make sure you're up to date on
these vaccines:
- Hepatitis A vaccine
- Hepatitis B vaccine
- Pneumococcal vaccine
Lung disease (Including Asthma or COPD)
People with lung disease (including
asthma or COPD) are at higher risk for
serious problems, including
hospitalization or death, from certain
vaccine-preventable diseases. Getting
vaccinated is one of the safest ways for
you to protect your health, even if you
are taking prescription medications for
your condition. Make sure you're up to
date on this vaccine:
End-stage renal (kidney) disease
Getting vaccinated is one of the safest
ways for you to protect your health,
even if you are taking prescription
medications for end-stage renal (kidney)
disease or on hemodialysis. Make sure
you're up to date on these vaccines:
- Hepatitis B vaccine
- Pneumococcal vaccine
Weakened immune system (excluding HIV
infection)
Vaccines you need
Vaccines are especially
critical for people with a weakened
immune system from diseases such as
cancer or patients taking
immunosuppressive drugs. Having a
weakened immune system means that it is
more difficult to fight off infections
or diseases in the body. Adults with
weakened immune systems caused by
immunocompromising conditions such as
cancer should make sure they're up to
date on these vaccines:
- Hib vaccine – Recommended for
adults with complement deficiency,
which is a specific type of immune
deficiency, and for adults who have
received a hematopoietic stem cell
transplant (HSCT, or a bone marrow
transplant)
- Pneumococcal vaccines
- Meningococcal vaccines (MenACWY
and MenB) – Recommended for adults
with complement deficiency, which is
a specific type of immune deficiency
- Shingles vaccine
You may need other vaccines, too
You may need other vaccines based on
your age or other factors, too. Talk
with your doctor to find out which
vaccines are recommended for you. These
may include:
- Chickenpox vaccine – recommended
for all adults born in 1980 or later
- Hepatitis B vaccine –
recommended for all adults up
through 59 years of age, and for
some adults 60 years of age and
older with known risk factors
- HPV vaccine – recommended for
all adults up through 26 years of
age, and for some adults aged 27
through 45 years
- MMR vaccine – recommended for
all adults born in 1957 or later
- Shingles vaccine – recommended
for all adults 50 years of age and
older
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