The CDC has specific Vaccination recommendations for children, college ages, and
young adults ages 19 through 24, adults, and seniors. There are also recommendations
for catching up on immunization if the recommended schedule has not been
adhered to.
For example, the CDC recommends vaccinations to protect children against 16 infectious
diseases, including measles, mumps, rubella (German measles), varicella
(chickenpox), hepatitis A, hepatitis B, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping
cough), Haemophilus influenza type B (Hib), polio, influenza (flu), and pneumococcal
disease.
Vaccinations specifically recommended for young adults include meningococcal
conjugate vaccine (MenACWY), Tdap vaccine (against tetanus, diphtheria, and
pertussis, or whooping cough, unless immunized as a preteen or teen), HPV vaccination
and seasonal flu vaccine.
Some vaccines are recommended only for travelers to places where the diseases
occur. There are other vaccines, such as against anthrax, that are usually reserved
for high-risk groups of people such as those in the military. Smallpox has been
eliminated globally, and vaccination against smallpox is no longer needed.
Vaccination recommendations for adults
The recommended schedule of vaccination for an adult varies considerably depending
on factors such as age, likely occupational, household or travel exposures, previous
vaccinations or lack of prior vaccination, and an individual’s health status.
For example, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends that
pregnant women should be screened for hepatitis B virus and urinary tract infection.
U.S. government recommendations for adults by age group, medical condition, and
other indications can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/downloads/
adult/adult-combined-schedule.pdf. After consulting the detailed recommendations,
the following immunizations should be considered:
• Influenza vaccination (annually)
• COVID-19 (when available)
• Tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Td/Tdap) vaccination
• Varicella vaccination
• Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination
• Herpes Zoster vaccination (Shingrix, for all adults aged 60 years or older)
• Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccination (Adults born before 1957 are
generally considered immune to measles and mumps)
• Measles component
• Mumps component
• Rubella component
• Pneumococcal (13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine [PCV13] and
23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine [PPSV23]) vaccination
• Meningococcal vaccination
• Hepatitis A vaccination
• Hepatitis B vaccination
• Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccination
• For those with a weakened immune system, inactivated vaccines generally are
acceptable (e.g., pneumococcal, meningococcal, and inactivated influenza
vaccine; and live vaccines generally should be avoided)
Vaccination recommendations for seniors
With age, the body’s immune system becomes weaker as do the protective effects of
prior vaccinations. You’re more likely to get diseases like the flu, pneumonia, and
shingles — and to have complications that can lead to long-term illness, hospitalization,
and even death.24 Revaccination against the following infectious agents is
recommended for persons over the age of 65:
• Influenza—annually (Flu)
• Herpes Zoster (Shingrix)
• Diphtheria
• Tetanus
• Pertussis (Whooping Cough)
• Pneumococcal disease (Pneumonia)
This blog presents opinions and ideas and is intended to provide helpful general information. I am not engaged in rendering advice or services to the individual reader. The ideas, procedures and suggestions in that are presented are not in any way a substitute for the advice and care of the reader’s own physician or other medical professional based on the reader’s own individual conditions, symptoms or concerns. If the reader needs personal medical, health, dietary, exercise or other assistance or advice the reader should consult a physician and/or other qualified health professionals. The author specifically disclaims all responsibility for any injury, damage or loss that the reader may incur as a direct or indirect consequence of following any directions or suggestions given in this blog or participating in any programs described in this blog or in the book, The Building Blocks of Health––How to Optimize Your Health with a Lifestyle Checklist (available in print or downloaded at Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble and elsewhere). Copyright 2021 by J. Joseph Speidel.
