Grandparents need to be current on flu every year and Tdap, plus whatever the CDC adult schedule adds for their age and health.
The newborn-critical one is Tdap: cocooning a baby means vaccinating the adults around them, and a Tdap booster is due every 10 years, ideally two-plus weeks before baby cuddles. Flu and COVID currency protects the baby too, since infants cannot be flu-vaccinated. The adult schedule adds vaccines at older ages, and one appointment with your doctor or pharmacist can check your status against it. No records is a solvable problem: titers or re-vaccination.
What to do
Common questions
What vaccines do grandparents need?
The list is shorter than the question feels. The CDC says all adults need a flu vaccine every year and a Td or Tdap vaccine, with other vaccines added based on your age, health conditions, job, lifestyle, and travel. For grandparents specifically, three clusters matter. First, Tdap: whooping cough is dangerous for newborns, and the protection strategy is cocooning, meaning the adults around the baby are vaccinated. A Tdap booster is due every 10 years, and if you are due, get it at least two weeks before meeting a new grandchild. Second, flu and COVID: staying current protects both you and the baby, since infants are too young for flu shots and rely on the adults around them. Third, the age-based additions: once you cross into your 50s, 60s, and beyond, the CDC's adult schedule adds vaccines against diseases that hit older adults harder, and your doctor or pharmacist can run the schedule against your age and conditions in one visit. Bring your vaccine records if you have them; if you do not, your GP can check titers or simply re-vaccinate, since extra doses of most vaccines are safe.