While most adults know to vaccinate their children on a schedule, many don’t realize that beyond just a seasonal flu or COVID-19 shot, adults too should be vaccinated for various diseases.
Vaccines are shots, liquids or nasal sprays that are designed to help protect you against specific diseases by training your immune system to fight off germs from viruses and bacteria.
The active ingredient in a vaccine is an antigen or substance that causes your immune system to respond by producing antibodies and other immune responses. As a result, it helps your body’s natural defenses build resistance to infections.
“Many people think of vaccines as something children get to prevent disease, but vaccines are tools we have to protect people throughout their lives and as they age,” says Dr. William Moss, a pediatrician at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. “Many of them are for everyone.”
Types of Vaccines
While all vaccines are designed to elicit an immune response, there are several types of vaccines that work differently.
— Live-attenuated vaccines inject a weakened live germ or virus into the body. Examples include the chickenpox vaccine and measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccines.
— Inactivated vaccines use a killed version of the germ that causes a disease. Immunity provided is usually not as strong as live vaccines, so several doses or boosters may be needed for ongoing immunity. Examples are influenza, polio and rabies.
— Subunit, recombinant, polysaccharide and conjugate vaccines use only specific parts of the germ, such as its protein, sugar or casing, that trigger a very strong immune response. Hepatitis B, whooping cough, HPV and shingles vaccines are examples.
— Toxoid vaccines use a toxin (harmful product) made by the germ that causes the disease. Examples of toxoid vaccines include diphtheria and tetanus.
— mRNA vaccines give your body instructions for making a small part of the virus so your immune system can prepare to fight an infection if it appears. Some COVID vaccines are an example.
— Viral vector vaccines use a harmless virus that gives your cells genetic instructions for making antigens to deliver to targeted cells in the body to trigger an immune response. Examples include Ebola and COVID vaccines.
[READ: What to Know About Flu Shots.]
Are Vaccines Effective?
Vaccines are extremely effective.
According to the World Health Organization, immunization is the greatest contribution to global health. It prevents approximately 3.5 million to 5 million deaths every year from diseases, allowing people to live long, healthy lives.
“With the introduction of many vaccines in the 1950s and 1960s, more people began to live to adulthood,” says Dr. Irfan Hafiz, an infectious disease specialist at Northwestern Medicine.
A 2024 Lancet study found that for each life saved through immunization, an average of 66 years of full health were gained.
In the last century, vaccines have reduced the incidence of infectious diseases and, as a result, increased life expectancy in developed countries from 47 years to 80 years.
Over the last 50 years, vaccinations have directly contributed to reducing infant deaths by 40% worldwide. Diseases that were once fatal are now preventable, while some — like smallpox — have been completely eradicated. The measles vaccine, for example, accounts for 60% of infant lives saved due to immunization.
“Not only have vaccines prevented death,” Hafiz says, “but there has also been a vast reduction in disability among the survivors of disease, such as limb paralysis in the case of polio or blindness or deafness from measles/rubella.”
In the United States, about 16,000 cases of polio occurred each year in the 1900s compared to zero cases in 2020, a direct result of the polio vaccine developed by Dr. Jonas Salk in 1955.
[READ: Healthy Aging From Within]
Are Vaccines Safe?
Vaccines are safe.
Before vaccines become available, they are tested extensively in labs and in clinical trials for safety and efficacy. Once there’s enough research, the vaccine is sent to the Federal Drug Administration for approval. If the FDA licenses the vaccine, it then goes to the Centers for Disease Control to determine whether it should be added to the list of recommended vaccines. The FDA constantly monitors the safety of all vaccines that have been licensed for use.
“While we can’t guarantee that all vaccines are safe all the time, they are one of humanity’s greatest achievements and usually the benefits of getting vaccinated far outweigh the risks,” says Moss.
While side effects of vaccines may run the gamut from none to severe, you may experience pain, mild chills and headaches. These side effects aren’t simply reactions to the antigen; they’re your body processing the vaccine and preparing to fight a disease.
Vaccine and autism myth
Despite common misconception, there is no association between vaccination and autism in children. In 1998, a discredited study was published showing a link between measles, mumps and rubella and autism. An association between the vaccine and autism subsequently was disproved in many studies, and most of the members of the study team retracted it 12 years later.
[See: Myths About Your Immune System.]
Who Should Not Get the Vaccine?
Getting vaccinated plays a critical role in your personal health, as well as the health of those around you. However, there are certain people who need special considerations when getting vaccinated.
People who should not get vaccines include:
— Immunocompromised. You may not be eligible for live vaccines, but you can still get inactivated vaccines.
— History of serious allergic reactions or anaphylaxis to any ingredient in the vaccine. If you have a severe reaction to a vaccine, you should not get it again.
— Ill or have a fever on the day of vaccination. You should wait until you are better to be vaccinated.
— Pregnant women. You should not get live vaccines — such as the MMR or chickenpox vaccine — when pregnant, but you should get them before or after pregnancy.
“Because there’s so much information available online, some of it false or inaccurate, it’s difficult to sort through and know how to proceed,” says Dr. Tara Vijayan, an infectious disease specialist at UCLA Health. “That’s when your doctor can play a valuable role in helping you make vaccination decisions.”
[Read: How Aging Affects Your Immune System.]
Most Common Vaccines
All adults should receive vaccines for the following:
— COVID-19
— Influenza
— RSV
— Tdap
— Shingles
— HPV
— Pneumococcal
— Hepatitis B
COVID-19 Vaccine
COVID-19 is a contagious infectious respiratory disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus that can cause mild to serious illness.
Because the virus that causes COVID-19 continues to change, vaccines are updated periodically.
The COVID vaccine is important for everyone, but especially for older people, those who have underlying diseases and people who live in long-term health facilities.
COVID-19 vaccine schedule
It’s recommended that everyone six months or older get the vaccine to prevent severe illness, hospitalization and death. Vaccine protection decreases over time, so you should get COVID-19 boosters approximately three to four months after your last shot.
Side effects
Side effects can include pain, redness or swelling at the injection site, tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever and nausea.
Influenza Vaccine (Flu)
The flu is a common contagious respiratory virus that infects the nose, throat and sometimes the lungs.
Many people who are vaccinated will still get the flu, but the flu shot reduces the severity of illness and the risk of hospitalization.
The influenza vaccination is especially important for people at high risk for flu-related complications. That includes pregnant women, people 65 years and older and people with conditions like asthma or heart disease.
Flu vaccine schedule
It’s recommended that every person 6 months and older be given a flu vaccination every year in the autumn before the flu season begins.
Side effects
Side effects may include pain at the sight of injection, headache, muscle aches and fatigue, and side effects are usually mild.
“The flu vaccine is generally well tolerated, and it’s much better to get it and have some side effects than to risk getting seriously ill,” Vijayan says.
Tdap Vaccine (Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis)
Tdap is a routine childhood vaccine that covers three infections:
— Tetanus. A serious, uncommon, potentially fatal infection of the nervous system caused by bacteria in the environment. It causes neck and jaw muscles to lock up. In the U.S., due to vaccination, tetanus is uncommon with only about 50 cases seen each year in the last 20 years.
— Diphtheria. A contagious, potentially fatal bacterial infection of the throat and skin that can lead to difficulty breathing, heart failure, paralysis and death. In the U.S. today, it’s rare to see diphtheria, but during the 1920s, before the vaccine, about 100,000 to 200,000 cases of diphtheria were reported annually.
— Whooping cough. A contagious bacterial infection of the lungs that can be fatal
If you were not vaccinated in childhood, you should begin to get the shot at age 7, followed by a booster every 10 years.
Tdap vaccine schedule
Adults who haven’t had the vaccine can get it at any time. Pregnant women should also get a Tdap vaccine during the early part of the third trimester to protect their babies from whooping cough.
Side effects
Side effects of the Tdap vaccine are usually mild and can include pain and redness or swelling at the site of the injection. Severe allergic reactions are rare.
HPV (Human Papillomavirus) Vaccine
HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the U.S., with approximately 14 million people getting the infection each year. It’s so common that most people who are sexually active will get it at some point.
There are more than 30 strains of the infection that can cause warts on your genitals, hands, feet and face. Serious types of HPV can cause oral, anal and cervical cancers in men and women.
HPV is spread from sexual skin-to-skin contact with someone who has it. You can get it when your vulva, vagina, cervix, penis or anus touches someone else’s genitals, mouth or throat.
In 2018, the FDA approved the vaccine for adults up to the age of 45. It helps protect teens and young adults against the types of HPV that can lead to cancer or genital warts.
HPV vaccine schedule
It’s most effective when given before a person becomes sexually active and is recommended to be given around the ages of 11 and 18.
The vaccine is exceptionally effective, requires two or three shots and has been shown to prevent more than 90% of cancers caused by HPV.
Side effects
Side effects are mild and can include soreness, swelling or redness at the site of injection.
Hepatitis B Vaccine
Hepatitis B is the most common serious liver infection in the world caused by the hepatitis B virus. It’s a contagious inflammation of the liver lining that is spread through contact with blood, semen and other body fluids from a person who has the virus to one who doesn’t.
According to the CDC, tens of thousands of new cases are reported in the U.S. every year, and vaccination is the best way to prevent the disease. Reported cases of hepatitis B have declined substantially since the CDC recommended child vaccination in 1991.
Hepatitis B vaccine schedule
A series of two or three shots, the vaccine is recommended for all infants, children and adults. A booster dose is usually not necessary.
Side effects
Side effects are rare but can include a slight fever, aches or pain in the joints, dizziness or soreness at the injection site.
Shingles Vaccine
Shingles is a viral infection that occurs mostly in older people. It causes a rash or blisters that usually develop on one side of the face or body and can cause debilitating nerve pain. It’s a reactivation of the same virus that caused chickenpox in children before 1995, when a chickenpox vaccine became available.
The American Medical Association says that shingles affects about 1 in every 3 people in the U.S. in their lifetime, and 1 million people get shingles every year.
In addition to older adults, the shingles vaccine should be administered to people who have weakened immune systems. Beginning at about the age of 50, all healthy adults should get vaccinated for shingles. Even if you have previously been vaccinated against chickenpox, you should get the shingles vaccine.
The vaccine Shingrix is 97% effective in preventing shingles in adults 50 and older and 91% effective in adults 70 or older. Shingrix is more effective than the older Zostavax vaccine, so if you were vaccinated with Zostavax, you should get vaccinated again with Shingrix.
Shingles vaccine schedule
The shingles vaccine is given in two doses two to six months apart.
No booster yet exists, but the Shingrix vaccine lasts for at least 10 years.
Side effects
Side effects include mild to moderate pain, soreness, swelling or redness at the site of injection, tiredness, headache, fever and nausea.
Who should not get the shingles vaccine
If you have an allergic reaction after your first shot, talk to your doctor. Pregnant women should not have a shingles vaccine.
RSV Vaccine
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common seasonal contagious respiratory viral infection of the nose, throat and sometimes the lungs. While it’s usually a mild cold-like illness, symptoms can sometimes be severe, causing wheezing and difficulty breathing.
The CDC estimates that 100,000 to 160,000 adults ages 60 and older in the U.S. are hospitalized each year for RSV. At highest risk are adults ages 75 and older, adults with chronic heart or lung disease, adults with weakened immune systems and adults with underlying medical conditions, such as diabetes or obesity.
The RSV vaccine is especially important for older adults living in nursing homes or long-term care facilities.
One dose prevents disease in individuals 60 years or older.
RSV vaccine schedule
Pregnant women should get the RSV vaccine to protect their babies at 32 to 36 weeks of pregnancy if those weeks fall between the fall and winter months.
The best time to get vaccinated is in late summer and early fall before RSV begins to spread in the community.
Currently, the RSV vaccine is not recommended as an annual vaccine.
Side effects
Side effects from the injection are usually mild but can include fatigue, fever, headache, nausea, diarrhea and muscle and joint pain.
Pneumococcal Vaccine
Pneumococcal disease can cause serious bacterial infections, such as pneumonia, meningitis, bloodstream infections, middle ear infections and sinus infections, spread through direct contact with respiratory secretions.
Pneumonia is the most common pneumococcal disease, and nearly 1 million adults get it every year.
Anyone can get pneumococcal disease, but older adults are at higher risk of serious illness or death.
The CDC recommends vaccination for adults 50 and older and for other adults who are at higher risk for getting seriously ill from pneumococcal infections.
Pneumococcal vaccine schedule
Vaccination consists of one or two shots, and if you are older, it will likely last you for the rest of your life.
Side effects
Side effects include mild to moderate pain, soreness, swelling or redness at the site of injection, tiredness, headache, fever and nausea.
Infant and Childhood Vaccines
The CDC, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Physicians and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists advise parents to follow the recommended vaccination schedule to help children stay on top of their immunizations.
Experts recommend that babies 0 to 15 months receive the following vaccines:
— Diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP)
— Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)
— Hepatitis A
— Hepatitis B
— Inactivated poliovirus
— Influenza
— MMR
— Pneumococcal conjugate
— Varicella
Children 18 months to 18 years are recommended to receive additional vaccines, including those for:
— Diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough) and tetanus (Tdap)
— Chickenpox
— MMR
— HPV
— Meningococcal. (In the U.S., health care providers vaccinate kids for this starting at age 11.)
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Vaccines and Immunizations originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 12/12/24: This story was previously published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
