Fall is a good time to check in on your vaccines.
While many people associate vaccines with childhood, adults need vaccinations throughout their lives, too. Some are given annually, while others are recommended based on your age, health history, medical conditions, occupation, travel plans or other risk factors.
And with flu, COVID-19, RSV and shingles vaccines all part of conversations about adult health, it can be difficult to know which ones you actually need.
The answer is different for everyone.
Your primary care provider can review your vaccination history, current health and individual risk factors to help you understand which vaccines are recommended for you—and when you should receive them.
Do Adults Really Need to Keep Up With Vaccines?
Yes. Immunity from some vaccines can decrease over time, new vaccines become available, and your vaccination needs can change as you get older or if your health changes.
Your primary care provider can review your immunization history as part of routine preventive care and identify vaccines you may be due for.
You may also need additional vaccines if you:
- Have certain chronic health conditions
- Have a weakened immune system
- Are pregnant or planning a pregnancy
- Work in a healthcare or other high-exposure setting
- Travel internationally
- Are entering a new age group with different vaccine recommendations
- Have an incomplete or unknown vaccination history
If you are not sure which vaccines you have received, do not assume you need to start over. Your healthcare provider can help review available records and determine what is appropriate.
Flu Vaccine: An Annual Fall Reminder
For most adults, the flu vaccine is the vaccine you should think about every fall.
CDC recommends seasonal flu vaccination for everyone 6 months and older, with rare exceptions. Flu vaccines are updated for each season to help protect against influenza viruses expected to circulate.
For most adults, September and October are good times to get vaccinated. Vaccination can continue throughout the flu season as long as influenza viruses are circulating.
What about adults 65 and older?
Adults 65 and older have a higher risk of serious complications from flu. CDC preferentially recommends certain higher-dose, recombinant or adjuvanted flu vaccines for this age group when available. If one of those vaccines is not available, an age-appropriate flu vaccine should still be given.
Your primary care provider can help you determine which flu vaccine is appropriate based on your age and health history.
COVID-19 Vaccine: Does Everyone Need It Every Year?
COVID-19 vaccination recommendations have changed over time, which can make this vaccine especially confusing.
Current CDC guidance uses **individual-based decision-making** for COVID-19 vaccination. That means your provider can consider factors such as your age, previous vaccination history and risk of severe COVID-19 when discussing whether vaccination is appropriate for you.
Adults 65 and older are specifically included in the current recommendation for individual-based decision-making, as are adults ages 6 months through 64 years, with greater potential benefit for people who have factors that increase their risk of severe COVID-19.
If you are unsure whether you are due for a current COVID-19 vaccine, your primary care provider can review your history and help you understand the recommendation that applies to you.
RSV Vaccine: Who Should Get It?
RSV—or respiratory syncytial virus—is a common respiratory virus that can cause more serious illness in older adults and people with certain health conditions.
For adults, CDC currently recommends a single dose of RSV vaccine for:
- All adults age 75 and older
- Adults ages 50–74 who are at increased risk for severe RSV illness
Risk factors can include certain chronic heart or lung conditions, kidney or liver disease, diabetes with certain complications, moderate or severe immune compromise, severe obesity and other conditions or circumstances that may increase the risk of severe RSV disease.
Unlike the flu vaccine, the RSV vaccine is **not currently an annual vaccine**. Adults who have already received one dose generally should not receive another dose at this time.
This is a good example of why talking with your primary care provider matters: whether the RSV vaccine is appropriate depends not just on your age, but also on your health history and individual risk.
Shingles Vaccine: When Should You Get It?
Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. After someone has chickenpox, the virus can remain inactive in the body and reactivate years later as shingles.
CDC recommends the two-dose shingles vaccine, Shingrix, for:
- Adults age 50 and older
- Adults age 19 and older with a weakened immune system because of disease or treatment
The two doses are generally given 2–6 months apart.
You should still talk with your healthcare provider about Shingrix even if you:
- Have already had shingles
- Received the older Zostavax vaccine
- Do not remember having chickenpox
Shingrix can help protect against both shingles and postherpetic neuralgia, a type of long-lasting nerve pain that can occur after shingles.
Can You Get More Than One Vaccine at the Same Appointment?
In many cases, yes.
CDC states that most vaccines can be given during the same visit. Flu and COVID-19 vaccines can be administered at the same appointment, and eligible patients can also receive RSV vaccination during the same visit. There is no required waiting period between flu and COVID-19 vaccines.
Getting multiple recommended vaccines during one visit can be convenient, particularly if you have difficulty making multiple appointments.
Your healthcare provider can help determine which vaccines you are due for and whether receiving them at the same visit makes sense for you.
What Other Vaccines Might Adults Need?
Flu, COVID-19, RSV and shingles are not the only vaccines adults may need.
Depending on your age and circumstances, your primary care provider may also review your need for vaccines such as:
- Tdap or Td: Adults generally need a tetanus and diphtheria booster every 10 years after completing the primary series, with Tdap used in certain circumstances.
- Pneumococcal vaccines: Recommendations depend on age and certain health conditions.
- HPV vaccine: Some adults who did not receive the vaccine when younger may still be eligible.
- Hepatitis A or hepatitis B vaccines: These may be recommended based on age, health conditions, lifestyle or other risk factors.
- Travel vaccines: International travel may require additional vaccines depending on your destination and activities.
This is why simply looking at your age is not always enough to determine which vaccines you need.
How Your Primary Care Provider Can Help
Your primary care provider can help make sense of the recommendations and apply them to your individual health.
During a preventive visit, your provider can:
Review your vaccination history
Your provider can look at your available immunization records and identify vaccines that may be due.
Consider your health history
Certain medical conditions and medications can change which vaccines are recommended or when they should be given.
Review age-based recommendations
Some vaccines become recommended as you reach certain age groups.
Discuss questions and concerns
If you are unsure about a vaccine, your provider can explain why it may be recommended and discuss questions specific to your health.
Help coordinate your vaccinations
Depending on the vaccine and your care plan, your primary care office or another appropriate vaccination location can help you stay on schedule.
What If You Don’t Know Which Vaccines You’ve Had?
You are not alone.
Many adults do not have a complete list of every vaccine they received over the years. Your healthcare team may be able to locate immunization records through available medical records or state immunization systems.
If your vaccination history remains incomplete or unknown, your provider can help determine what should be done based on current recommendations. CDC’s adult immunization guidance specifically addresses situations where vaccination history is incomplete or unknown.
If you have records from another healthcare system, pharmacy or previous provider, bring them to your appointment if possible.
Your Fall Vaccine Checklist
Before the season gets busy, take a few minutes to check in on your vaccines.
Ask yourself:
- Have I received my flu vaccine for this season?
- Am I up to date on COVID-19 vaccination based on my individual risk and current recommendations?
- Am I eligible for an RSV vaccine?
- Am I due for my shingles vaccine?
- Am I up to date on Tdap/Td?
- Have my pneumococcal vaccines been reviewed?
- Are there other vaccines I may need because of my age, health history, medications or travel plans?
If you are unsure about any of these questions, that is exactly what your primary care provider can help you with.
Make Vaccines Part of Your Preventive Care
Staying up to date on vaccines is one part of protecting your health throughout adulthood. But determining which vaccines you need does not have to be complicated.
Your primary care provider can look at the complete picture—including your age, medical history, previous vaccines and individual risk factors—and help you create a vaccination plan that makes sense for you.
Not sure what you’re due for? Schedule a visit with your Avance Care primary care provider to review your vaccines and other preventive care needs this fall.
