Vaccinations In Adults

Why do grown up people need vaccines? This is a thought provoking question. As we grow older our body’s defense system or immunity gets weaker and needs a fresh stimulus. Second there are new concerns about specific infections.

There are certain risk factors like diabetes, cancer, alcohol use, heart and lung conditions that increases chances of life threatening infections.

Health care institutions like the US CDC,WHO and many medical bodies have issued guidelines for adult vaccination.

In India these vaccines are recommended for people above 50 years,
but certainly after 60 all healthy adults should take these shots to lower risk of contracting infections.

1. Covid vaccine, two primary and one booster dose.
2. Influenza vaccine tetravalent every year
3. Diphtheria Pertussis Tetanus, or Tdap booster dose every 10 years
4. Pneumonia Vaccination: There are 2 vaccines both are necessary, Prevenar (PCV 13) followed by Pneumovax (PPSV23) , just one dose enough during lifetime.
5. Shingles vaccine (Shingrix) 2 doses at 6 month interval
6. Hepatitis B, Hepatitis A should be taken early in adulthood.
7. Adults needing spleen removal or suffering from sickle cell anemia have spleen atrophy, they need few more vaccination like Meningococcal and Haemophilus, they should get specific advice from doctors.
8. HPV vaccine is a recent addition to protect women from cervix cancer, men also need it to prevent anal cancer and from infecting women. ShouLd be taken at 14-18 years.