Create Co(i)mmunity. Get Vaccinated

August is National Immunization Awareness Month, an annual observance highlighting the importance of vaccination for people of all ages.

Life has been anything but routine lately. A sometimes overlooked result of the COVID-19 pandemic is that many people have missed routine medical checkups, routine screenings, and recommended vaccinations.

RECOMMENDED VACCINES

Vaccines are not just for children. Adults need them to avoid getting and spreading certain serious diseases that can result in missed work, medical bills, and problems taking care of others, as well as serious illness, or even death.¹

Vaccines for adults are recommended based on different factors like a person’s age, health, lifestyle, jobs, and travel. All adults need:

• Flu vaccine. An annual flu vaccine is recommended for everyone but is especially important for adults with certain chronic health conditions, pregnant people, and those who are 65 years and older.
• Tdap vaccine: If they have never gotten one before, a Tdap vaccine helps protect against pertussis (whooping cough). Pregnant people should get a Tdap vaccine during each pregnancy, preferably at 27 through 36 weeks.
• Td vaccine:(tetanus, diphtheria) or Tdap shot every 10 years.¹
• Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23): If they are 65 years and older or 19–64 years old and have certain health conditions or smoke cigarettes. In addition, adults 65 years and older may discuss and decide, with their clinician, to receive a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13). Pneumococcal vaccines help protect against serious illnesses like meningitis, bloodstream infections, and pneumonia.
• Shingles vaccine: Two doses of shingles vaccine for everyone 50 years of age and older. Your risk of shingles and complications increases as you age. Shingles vaccine provides strong protection from shingles and long-term nerve pain.
• HPV vaccine: HPV vaccination is also recommended through age 26, if they did not get vaccinated when they were younger. For adults aged 27 years and older, talk with your doctor about HPV vaccine.
• COVID-19 vaccine: CDC recommends vaccination for all adults and children of certain ages.²

Talk with your doctor to make sure you get the vaccines that are right for you. Some adults with specific health conditions should not get certain vaccines or should wait to get them.¹

Staying up to date on vaccinations helps protect you and others in your family and community. Every year, tens of thousands of Americans get sick and some die from diseases that could be prevented by vaccines.³

Have a question for CDC? CDC-INFO (http://www.cdc.gov/cdc-info/index.html) offers live agents by phone and email to help you find the latest, reliable, and science-based health information on more than 750 health topics.

Posted on August 6, 2021 by CDC Blog Administrator⁴

References

¹“Recommended Vaccines for Adults.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 21 Nov. 2019, www.cdc.gov/vaccines/adults/rec-vac/index.html.

²“Your Covid-19 Vaccination.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/your-vaccination.html.

³“Six Things You Need to Know about Vaccines.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 16 May 2018, www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/vaxwithme.html.

⁴“Create Co(i)Mmunity. Get Vaccinated.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, blogs.cdc.gov/publichealthmatters/2021/08/immunization-awareness/.