Vaccines for Adults

Adults need to get vaccines, just like kids.

Vaccines for Adults

Of course, they don’t get as many vaccines as kids, since many adults are either already immune or are no longer at risk to get some vaccine-preventable diseases.

The adult immunization schedule can help adults figure out which vaccines they need.

In addition to vaccines that are available in special situations, adults do get:

a yearly flu vaccine
a yearly COVID shot
a single dose of Tdap (if they haven’t had it before and during each pregnancy) and a Td/Tdap booster shot every ten years
the pneumococcal vaccines once they are 65 years old
the shingles vaccine once they are 50 years old
the RSV vaccine once they are 75 years old or if pregnant

They can also get most other vaccines, except Rotavirus and DTaP (they get Tdap instead), that they need because they lack immunity.

What else?

Have you gotten vaccinated for hepatitis B?

Have you had two doses of the MMR vaccine?

Have you been vaccinated for polio?

If you are behind on any vaccines, ask your provider if you need to catch up as an adult.

Another question that comes up concerning adult vaccines is why do adults and children get the same vaccines. In other words, are vaccines calibrated taking into account a child’s weight and age?

Donald Trump often says that he is against vaccines because we give “one massive dose for a child,” going on to say that they should get smaller dosages in a more spread out schedule. Some others agree, claiming that infants shouldn’t get the same dose of vaccine as an adult.

But do they?

Not always. There are pediatric versions of the influenza, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and DTaP (vs Tdap) vaccines.

It doesn’t necessarily matter though. Unlike medications you take, like Tylenol or an antibiotic, vaccines don’t go through your whole body to work, so your size doesn’t matter.

More on Vaccines for Adults

Last Updated on March 12, 2025

Vaccines for Adults