The CDC's adult core: a flu shot every year (strains rotate - last year's does not count), a Td or Tdap booster (Tdap once if never had, and in every pregnancy), and staying up to date on COVID vaccination, which the CDC links to lower risk of severe illness.
Age additions: shingles from 50 (two doses), RSV at 75-plus or 50-74 at increased risk, pneumococcal in older adulthood. Catch-ups many adults missed: Hepatitis B, HPV (through 26, discussable to 45), MMR, chickenpox. Situational: travel, healthcare work, immunocompromise, pregnancy. Most are available at any pharmacy without an appointment. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, and can map the list to your age and history.
What to do
Common questions
What vaccines do adults need?
Adults need vaccines because childhood immunity fades and adult risks change - the CDC's adult immunization page is blunt that vaccination is one of the safest and most convenient preventive measures there is. The core list every adult should have: the flu shot every year (the strains rotate, so last year's does not count); a Td or Tdap booster against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis - Tdap once if you never had it, and during every pregnancy; and staying up to date on COVID vaccination, which the CDC ties to lower risk of severe illness. The age additions: the shingles vaccine from 50 (two doses - shingles is the chickenpox virus waking back up, and the vaccine prevents a genuinely miserable outcome); the RSV vaccine at 75 and older, or 50 to 74 with increased risk; and pneumococcal vaccines in older adulthood or with certain conditions. The catch-ups: many adults missed Hepatitis B, HPV (recommended through 26, discussable to 45), MMR, or chickenpox - your doctor or pharmacist can check titers or records. The situational ones: travel vaccines by destination, and extra coverage for healthcare workers, the immunocompromised, and pregnant women. Where to get them: any pharmacy, no appointment or insurance needed for most. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, that can help you work out which ones your age and history call for.