Vaccinations and Immunizations for Adults Over Age 65

Recommendations and Guidelines

For the elderly population, it is important to take the time to think about the vaccines and immunizations that you may continue to require into late adulthood. Relying heavily upon the recommendations of your physicians, you may find that you are continuing to lack necessary vaccinations to protect against significant illness and disease.

In the United States, many senior adults mistakenly believe vaccines are designed only for children. While this is a common belief, the reality is that many among the elderly population continue to require vaccines throughout the course of their lives, often in the form of booster shots or administration of new vaccines that have come into the drug market. With proper booster vaccine administration, the elderly population continues to obtain protection against specific disease and illness throughout the course of their remaining lifetime. Without booster vaccines, there is a risk for developing the health complication when exposed to the risk which can further compromise the immune system that is so often compromised with age.

As a general rule, vaccination schedules can be broken into three age groups beyond the age of 18; age 19 through age 49, age 50 through age 64 and anyone over the age of 65.

If you are over the age of 65, the Centers for Disease Control will have specific recommendations that you maintain vaccines and immunizations based on your health and prior immunity history. For this age group, annual influenza vaccines are important. In addition, you should obtain a tetanus booster every 10 years and consider a repeat dose of the pneumococcal vaccine, if needed based on your health risk.

The measles-mumps-rubella, MMIR, vaccine is also important, in one dose for this age group, as well as one final dose of the meningococcal, both if not given previously after age 19. The HPV vaccine for women is not required for this age group nor is the varicella vaccine, provided appropriate dosing was given as a child. In addition, the hepatitis vaccines, both A and B, are usually not required in this age group, provided they were administered during infancy.