Vaccines: They’re Not Just For Kids

Staying current with vaccinations is a crucial step in protecting your health and well-being. While many associate vaccines with childhood, adults also need to stay current to protect themselves and those around them from preventable diseases.

Recognized as the best way to protect yourself from certain preventable diseases, vaccines help your body create protective antibodies that help fight off infections. But they’re not fool-proof.

Over time, the protection provided by a vaccine wears off. This means the vaccines you received as a child may no longer protect you. For example, vaccines such as TDaP (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) and MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) may require booster shots to maintain immunity.

Certain vaccines are particularly important for older adults and those with chronic health conditions, as they are at higher risk for severe complications from diseases like influenza, pneumococcal infections, and shingles. Staying current with these vaccines can prevent hospitalizations and severe health outcomes.

In addition, bacteria and viruses can mutate over time (think flu and COVID), making it necessary to get boosters to protect you against new and emerging strains.  

But there’s more to vaccines than simply protecting yourself. Vaccines play a significant role in community health by contributing to herd immunity. This means that when a large portion of the population is vaccinated, it reduces the spread of disease, and works to protect those who cannot be vaccinated, such as individuals with certain medical conditions

Adults should consider the following vaccines, depending on their age, health status, and lifestyle:

• Influenza: An annual flu shot is recommended for everyone over six months of age, with particular emphasis on older adults and those with chronic conditions.

• TDaP: A booster is recommended every ten years to protect against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis.

• Shingles: Adults over 50 should receive the shingles vaccine to prevent this painful condition.

• Pneumococcal: Recommended for adults over 65 and younger adults with certain health conditions to prevent pneumonia and other pneumococcal diseases.

• Mpox: Provided in two doses spread out over four weeks, the Mpox vaccines (formerly referred to as Monkey Pox) are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Protection for individuals who meet the criteria found here. If you are traveling to regions where outbreaks are occurring, visit the CDC site for details on how to protect yourself.

• COVID-19: The CDC currently recommends updated COVID-19 boosters for the following:

  • Everyone aged 5 years and older should get one dose of an updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect against serious illness from COVID-19.

  • Children aged 6 months–4 years may need multiple doses of COVID-19 vaccines to be up to date, including at least one dose of updated COVID-19 vaccine.

  • People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised may get additional doses of updated COVID-19 vaccine.

  • People aged 65 years and older who received one dose of any updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna or Novavax) should receive one additional dose of an updated COVID-19 vaccine at least 4 months after the previous updated dose.

  • For additional information on COVID-19 boosters, visit the CDC page found here.

If you’re not sure if you are up to date with your vaccinations, contact your healthcare provider’s office. They can offer guidance tailored to your specific health needs and circumstances and help you schedule appointments or locate where vaccines they don’t provide are currently available.

Dr. Marie George, MD is an Infectious Disease Specialist at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington, VT and a member of the Travel Clinic team at the hospital.