The vaccines you need depend primarily on your age, with additional doses recommended during pregnancy, before travel, or if you have certain health conditions. Every adult, regardless of age, should stay current on three core vaccines: an annual flu shot, an updated COVID-19 vaccine, and a tetanus booster every 10 years. Beyond those, the list grows as you get older and shifts if you’re pregnant, managing a chronic condition, or heading abroad.
Vaccines Every Adult Needs
Three vaccinations apply to all adults aged 19 and older. The first is influenza: one dose every year, ideally in September or early October before flu season peaks. The second is COVID-19, with one or more doses of the current season’s updated vaccine recommended for adults under 50, and two or more doses for those 50 and older. The third is tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap/Td). If you haven’t had a Tdap shot as an adult, you need one, followed by a booster every 10 years.
If you never received the full childhood series of measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) or chickenpox vaccines, or you can’t confirm you did, you may still need those as an adult. A blood test can check whether you’re already immune.
HPV Vaccine: Mostly for Younger Adults
The HPV vaccine is routinely recommended through age 26. After that, it’s not recommended for most people because the majority have already been exposed to HPV naturally. Some adults between 27 and 45 who weren’t adequately vaccinated earlier may still benefit, but this is a case-by-case conversation rather than a blanket recommendation. If you’re in that age range and have had few sexual partners or a new partner, it may be worth discussing.
What Changes After 50
Turning 50 triggers two important additions to your vaccine list: shingles and pneumococcal disease.
The shingles vaccine is given as two doses, spaced two to six months apart. About one in three people develops shingles in their lifetime, and the risk climbs sharply with age, making this one worth prioritizing. If you’re under 50 but have a weakened immune system, you’re also eligible starting at age 19.
The pneumococcal vaccine protects against serious bacterial infections including pneumonia, bloodstream infections, and meningitis. All adults 50 and older should get it. There are a few different versions available. Some require just a single shot to complete the series, while others involve a follow-up dose about a year later. Your pharmacist or provider can tell you which version makes sense based on your history.
What Changes After 60 and 65
At 60, RSV vaccination enters the picture. RSV is a respiratory virus that can cause severe illness in older adults, and a single dose of vaccine is recommended in late summer or early fall. This is a relatively new vaccine, so many adults in this age group haven’t received it yet.
At 65, the flu vaccine recommendation shifts. Standard flu shots are less effective in older adults because the immune system weakens with age, so higher-dose or adjuvanted flu vaccines are preferred. These formulations generate a stronger immune response. When you schedule your annual flu shot, ask specifically for the version designed for people 65 and older.
Vaccines During Pregnancy
Two vaccines are specifically timed around pregnancy to protect both the parent and the newborn. The Tdap (whooping cough) vaccine is recommended during weeks 27 through 36 of each pregnancy, preferably on the earlier end of that window. This allows protective antibodies to pass to the baby before birth, since newborns are too young to be vaccinated themselves.
The RSV vaccine can be given during weeks 32 through 36 of pregnancy, between September and January, to protect the baby during their first RSV season. You would choose either this maternal vaccine or have the baby vaccinated after birth, not both.
The annual flu shot is also recommended for anyone who is pregnant, as pregnancy increases the risk of severe flu complications.
Extra Vaccines for Chronic Conditions
Certain health conditions put you at higher risk for infections that vaccines can prevent. Diabetes is one of the most common examples. People with diabetes are advised to stay current on flu, pneumococcal, Tdap, hepatitis B, shingles, COVID-19, and RSV (if over 60) vaccines. The hepatitis B vaccine, given as a series of two or three shots depending on the version, is especially important because diabetes increases the risk of hepatitis B infection.
Heart disease, chronic lung conditions, and a weakened immune system (from medications, chemotherapy, or organ transplant) similarly expand the list or move certain vaccines to younger ages. If you take medications that suppress your immune system, for instance, you’re eligible for the shingles vaccine starting at 19 rather than 50, with a shorter interval between doses.
Travel Vaccines
International travel, particularly to parts of Africa, South America, and Asia, often requires vaccines you wouldn’t otherwise need. Ideally, plan at least a month ahead, but many travel vaccines work with shorter lead times.
Several single-dose vaccines can be given even days before departure and still provide meaningful protection: hepatitis A, injectable typhoid, meningococcal, a polio booster, and cholera vaccine for select travelers. Hepatitis B typically requires two doses a month apart, though an accelerated three-dose schedule (at day 0, 7, and 21 to 30, plus a 12-month booster) is available for last-minute trips.
Yellow fever vaccination is legally required for entry into certain countries, and the documentation doesn’t become valid until 10 days after the shot, so this one genuinely can’t wait until the last minute. Meningococcal vaccine is required for religious pilgrimages to Saudi Arabia. Rabies pre-exposure vaccination, now a two-dose series given a week apart, is recommended for travelers spending time in remote areas where animal bites are a real possibility and medical care is far away.
Japanese encephalitis and tick-borne encephalitis vaccines may be relevant depending on your destination and activities. Both require multiple doses, so the more lead time you have, the better protected you’ll be.
What Insurance Covers
Under the Affordable Care Act, all Marketplace health plans and most other private insurance plans must cover recommended preventive vaccines with no copay, coinsurance, or deductible. This includes flu, Tdap, hepatitis A and B, HPV, pneumococcal, shingles, chickenpox, meningococcal, and MMR vaccines. Medicare Part D also covers vaccines like shingles at no cost.
Travel vaccines are typically the exception. Yellow fever, typhoid, Japanese encephalitis, and rabies pre-exposure shots are generally not covered by standard insurance because they’re considered elective rather than routine preventive care. Travel clinics charge anywhere from $50 to $500 per vaccine depending on the type, so factor that into your trip budget.
Childhood Vaccine Milestones
If you’re looking up vaccines for a child, the schedule is busiest in the first two years of life. At 2, 4, and 6 months, babies receive doses of DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis), polio, and several other vaccines. At 12 to 15 months, the first doses of MMR and chickenpox vaccines are given. Booster doses of DTaP, polio, MMR, and chickenpox follow at 4 to 6 years old, typically before kindergarten entry.
The HPV vaccine series begins at age 11 or 12, though it can be started as early as 9. When given before age 15, only two doses are needed instead of three. Meningococcal vaccine is recommended at 11 to 12 with a booster at 16.