IMMUNIZATION: for Adults
WHICH VACCINES SHOULD ADULTS RECEIVE?
INFLUENZA
Each year, an average of over 200,000 adults are hospitalized because of influenza. As many as 36,000 die, and the elderly are especially vulnerable. Anyone 50 or older, or having certain medical conditions, such as a chronic illness or immunosuppression, has a greater risk for severe complications following influenza. Influenza vaccination is readily available and must be repeated each year, in the fall, before the start of influenza season.
PNEUMOCOCCAL
As many as 15,000 people die each year because of pneumococcal pneumonia and invasive pneumococcal infections. The elderly and people with certain medical conditions, such as chronic lung disease or immunosuppression, are most susceptible to pneumococcal disease. People under 65 will need a booster shot when they reach 65 if more than 5 years have passed since the initial dose.
TETANUS, DIPHTHERIA (Td)
Booster doses of Td are needed at 10-year intervals throughout a person’s life.
VACCINES FOR INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS
Many Americans enjoy vacations abroad, and in today’s business environment, employees are often required to visit remote areas of other countries. When visiting some parts of the world, these people are likely to be exposed to diseases that we almost never see in this country. Immunization is crucial for international travelers— both routine vaccines and others needed for specific geographic regions.
OTHER VACCINES SHOULD ALSO BE CONSIDERED
HEPATITIS A
Adults need protection if they live in U.S. communities or travel to other countries with high rates of hepatitis A. This vaccine is essential for those who have chronic liver disease, are injection drug users, or are men who have sex with men.
HEPATITIS B
Hepatitis B is the primary sexually transmitted disease we can immunize against. This disease infects over 140,000 people in the U.S. each year and kills over 5,000. It is
100 times more contagious than the virus that causes AIDS, and there is no cure. It is known as the “silent disease” because it may infect people without making them feel sick.
MEASLES, MUMPS, RUBELLA (MMR)
Anyone born since 1956 and all women of childbearing age who have not had these diseases or been vaccinated needs to be safeguarded.
CHICKENPOX (VARICELLA)
Adults have a far greater risk of complications from this disease. These include swelling of the brain, pneumonia, and even death. Protection is crucial for anyone not born in the U.S. before 1966 who has not had this disease and has not been vaccinated.

Illness is expensive.
The number of adult deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases is towering —more than 30,000 each year. The real tragedy is that it doesn’t have to happen. For example, every year more than half of adults at high risk of influenza complications seek some type of medical treatment, but they fail to receive influenza vaccine. What is the direct medical cost just for this negligence? Between $3 billion and $5 billion. And that’s just one disease. Some adults think immunization is just for kids or are unaware adult vaccines exist. Others are procrastinators. But when these people’s lives are damaged or cut short, far more than their families suffer. Our entire society suffers.

VACCINES AREN’T JUST FOR KIDS...

WE INVITE YOU TO CALL OUR CDC-INFO CONTACT CENTER: 
800-CDC-INFO (232-4636)
IN ENGLISH, EN ESPAÑOL – 24/7
And visit our website at www.cdc.gov/nip. We provide a wealth of reliable information on immunization, vaccines, and the diseases they prevent.