Dozens of vaccines are available today, covering everything from routine childhood immunizations to seasonal shots and travel-specific protection. The list has grown significantly in recent years, with newer vaccines targeting RSV, shingles, and even malaria joining long-established shots for flu, hepatitis, and pneumonia. Here’s a practical breakdown of what’s currently available and who each vaccine is for.
Seasonal Vaccines: Flu, COVID-19, and RSV
Three vaccines now follow a seasonal pattern, timed to the fall and winter months when respiratory viruses circulate most aggressively.
The annual flu vaccine is recommended for everyone 6 months and older. Each year’s formula is updated to match the three influenza strains expected to dominate that season. You need a new dose every year because both the virus and the vaccine change.
Updated COVID-19 vaccines are also recommended annually for everyone 6 months and older, regardless of whether you’ve been vaccinated before or had COVID-19. The 2024-2025 formula targets currently circulating Omicron-related variants. Two mRNA versions are available. Getting the updated shot is especially important if you’re 65 or older, pregnant, immunocompromised, or living in a long-term care facility.
RSV vaccines are the newest addition to the seasonal lineup. For adults, a single dose is recommended for everyone 75 and older, and for adults 60 to 74 who are at higher risk of severe RSV disease. Unlike flu and COVID-19, you don’t need a repeat dose if you got one the previous year. Infants can be protected either through maternal vaccination during weeks 32 to 36 of pregnancy or through an antibody injection given to the baby at birth or before RSV season.
Routine Adult Vaccines
Several vaccines are part of the standard adult immunization schedule, recommended by age or health status rather than by season.
Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis
Adults need one dose of the combination vaccine (commonly called Tdap), followed by a booster every 10 years. Pregnant women should get a dose during each pregnancy to pass protection against whooping cough to their newborns. You may also need a dose after certain types of wounds.
Shingles
The shingles vaccine is recommended for all adults 50 and older and for adults 19 and older with weakened immune systems. It’s given as two doses, spaced two to six months apart. The vaccine is highly effective: 97% at preventing shingles in adults 50 to 69 with healthy immune systems, and 91% effective in those 70 and older. It also significantly reduces the risk of postherpetic neuralgia, the lingering nerve pain that can follow a shingles outbreak. In people with weakened immune systems, effectiveness ranges from 68% to 91% depending on the underlying condition.
Pneumococcal Vaccines
Pneumococcal vaccines protect against bacterial infections that can cause pneumonia, meningitis, and bloodstream infections. Three newer conjugate vaccines (PCV15, PCV20, and PCV21) are recommended for adults 50 and older who have never received one, and for younger adults with certain risk conditions like chronic heart or lung disease. If you receive PCV15, a follow-up dose of a different pneumococcal vaccine is needed. Adults 65 and older who previously completed an older vaccination series have the option of getting PCV20 or PCV21 after discussing it with their provider.
Cancer-Preventing Vaccines
Two vaccines stand out for their ability to prevent cancer, not just infection.
The HPV vaccine protects against the strains of human papillomavirus responsible for cervical, throat, anal, and several other cancers. It’s recommended for preteens at age 11 or 12 (and can start as early as 9) and for anyone through age 26 who hasn’t been vaccinated. Some adults 27 to 45 may benefit from vaccination if they’re at risk for new HPV infections, though it’s not a blanket recommendation for that age group. The vaccine prevents new infections but does not treat existing ones.
The hepatitis B vaccine prevents infection with a virus that can cause chronic liver disease and liver cancer. It’s available for all age groups and is routinely given in infancy, but unvaccinated adults can still get it as a three-dose series.
Travel Vaccines
International travel, particularly to tropical and developing regions, may require vaccines you wouldn’t otherwise need. Planning ahead matters because some require multiple doses or need time to take effect before departure.
- Yellow fever: A single-dose vaccine recommended for parts of South America and Africa. It must be given at least 10 days before arrival, and some countries require proof of vaccination (a yellow card) for entry.
- Hepatitis A: A two-dose series recommended for most travelers. At least one dose should be given before your trip.
- Typhoid: Recommended for travelers to areas where the infection is common, particularly in South Asia.
- Japanese encephalitis: A two-dose vaccine recommended for long-term travelers or those spending significant time outdoors in rural areas of Asia and the western Pacific. The initial series should be completed at least one week before travel.
- Cholera: Recommended for adults traveling to areas with active cholera transmission, given at least 10 days before departure.
- Rabies: A three-dose series considered for travelers to high-risk countries, particularly those who may encounter animals or have limited access to medical care.
- Chikungunya: A newer single-dose vaccine recommended for travelers heading to outbreak areas. Two versions exist: a live-attenuated version (not suitable for people over 60 or those with weakened immune systems) and a newer virus-like particle version.
Your destination determines which vaccines you need. The CDC maintains country-specific recommendations that your provider or a travel health clinic can walk you through.
Childhood Vaccines
Children follow the most intensive vaccination schedule, building immunity during the years they’re most vulnerable. The core childhood vaccines protect against measles, mumps, rubella, polio, rotavirus, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis A and B, chickenpox, and infections caused by Haemophilus influenzae type b. Most of these are given in multiple doses between birth and age 6, with some boosters continuing into adolescence.
The meningococcal vaccine, which protects against bacterial meningitis, is typically given around age 11 or 12 with a booster at 16. College students living in dormitories are at particular risk if they haven’t been vaccinated.
How Different Vaccine Types Work
Not all vaccines use the same approach to train your immune system. Understanding the basic categories can help demystify what you’re getting.
Inactivated vaccines use a killed version of the germ. They tend to require booster doses because the immune response they create isn’t as strong as what you’d get from a live vaccine. The flu shot is one example. Live-attenuated vaccines use a weakened form of the germ, which produces a stronger, longer-lasting immune response, often with fewer doses. The MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine works this way. These are generally not recommended for people with weakened immune systems.
mRNA vaccines, used for COVID-19, deliver genetic instructions that teach your cells to produce a harmless piece of the virus, triggering an immune response without using any actual virus. Subunit and recombinant vaccines use only a specific piece of the germ, like a protein from its surface. The shingles vaccine and some HPV vaccines fall into this category. Viral vector vaccines use a modified, harmless virus to deliver instructions to your cells, similar in concept to mRNA vaccines but using a different delivery method. Toxoid vaccines, like the tetanus shot, target the toxins produced by bacteria rather than the bacteria themselves.
Vaccines on the Global Stage
Some vaccines are widely used in other parts of the world but rarely discussed in the U.S. because the diseases they target are uncommon here. The WHO’s current priority list includes malaria vaccines, dengue vaccines, and a newer meningococcal vaccine covering five bacterial strains (ACWYX) designed for sub-Saharan Africa, where meningitis outbreaks are a recurring threat. Oral polio vaccines remain essential in regions still working to eradicate the disease. If you’re relocating to or doing extended work in a tropical region, some of these vaccines may be relevant to you even if they’re not part of the standard U.S. schedule.