Every adult needs a flu shot each fall and a tetanus booster (Td or Tdap) every 10 years. The CDC adds two shingles doses and a pneumococcal vaccine at 50, and a single RSV shot at 75, or from 50 if you have certain health conditions. If you missed them earlier, HPV catch-up runs through age 26 and hepatitis B through 59. Pregnancy, health conditions, and travel add more.
This guide follows the CDC's adult immunization schedule by age, which has a companion schedule for people with specific medical conditions. Federal vaccine guidance has changed several times since 2025, so check the CDC's current pages, or ask your pharmacist, before you book. Outside the U.S., your national health service publishes its own schedule.
Adult vaccine schedule by age#
| Age |
Vaccines to ask about |
| All adults |
Flu every year; Td or Tdap every 10 years; COVID-19 (see below) |
| 19 to 26 |
HPV, if you didn't finish the series as a teen |
| 19 to 59 |
Hepatitis B, if you were never vaccinated |
| 27 to 45 |
HPV is possible after talking it through with a clinician |
| 50 and older |
Shingles (2 doses); pneumococcal |
| 50 to 74 with certain conditions |
RSV, one dose |
| 60 and older |
Hepatitis B if you have risk factors, or simply want it |
| 65 and older |
Flu: a high-dose, adjuvanted, or recombinant version is preferred |
| 75 and older |
RSV, one dose |
MMR, chickenpox, hepatitis A, meningococcal, and a few others depend on your immunity, health, job, or travel. If you're not sure whether you had them as a child, the CDC's schedule notes explain who needs catch-up doses, and your clinician can sort out the rest.
Flu: every year, ideally by the end of October#
The CDC says everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine every season, with rare exceptions. September and October are usually the best time. Getting it in July or August is usually too early for adults, especially those 65 and older, because protection can fade before flu season peaks.
At 65 and older, ask for one of the three preferred vaccines: Fluzone High-Dose, Flublok, or Fluad. If none is available, any flu vaccine approved for your age is better than skipping it.
Tetanus: Td or Tdap every 10 years#
The CDC recommends a tetanus booster every 10 years. If you haven't had a Tdap shot since age 10, get one dose of Tdap now (it adds whooping cough protection), then Td or Tdap every 10 years after that.
Two exceptions. During pregnancy, you need a Tdap dose every time, ideally early in weeks 27 to 36, so the baby is born with some protection against whooping cough. And a deep or dirty wound may need a booster sooner than 10 years. If you're cut and can't remember your last tetanus shot, ask when you get the wound looked at.
Shingles: two doses from age 50#
Shingrix is given as two doses, 2 to 6 months apart, to everyone 50 and older. You need it even if you've had shingles before or had the older Zostavax vaccine. Adults 19 and older with weakened immune systems from disease or treatment are also eligible, and their second dose can come as soon as 1 to 2 months after the first.
The second dose is the one people forget. Set a reminder for two months after the first shot while you're still at the pharmacy.
Pneumococcal: everyone at 50#
The CDC recommends pneumococcal vaccination for all adults 50 and older, and for adults 19 to 49 with certain medical conditions that raise the risk of serious pneumococcal infection. The schedule notes list them. Depending on which vaccine you get and what you've had before, it's either one shot or two, so bring your records.
RSV: one dose at 75, or at 50 with risk factors#
RSV vaccination is recommended for all adults 75 and older, and for adults 50 to 74 at increased risk of severe RSV, for example people with chronic heart or lung disease. It's a single shot, not a yearly one. If you've already had an RSV vaccine, the CDC says not to get another for now. Late summer or early fall is the best time.
COVID-19: the confusing one#
Federal COVID-19 guidance has shifted more than anything else on this list. As of the 2026-2027 season, the CDC's COVID-19 vaccine guidance recommends a 2026-2027 vaccine for all adults 18 and older. The CDC says it's keeping the recommendations from its July 2025 schedule in place because of legal uncertainty.
The FDA approvals are narrower. The 2026-2027 vaccines, such as Moderna's Spikevax, are approved for people 65 and older, and for younger people with at least one underlying condition that puts them at high risk of severe COVID-19. For a healthy adult under 65, that gap can affect whether a pharmacy will give the shot and whether insurance covers it. Call ahead, and ask your pharmacist what applies in your state.
Vaccines during pregnancy#
Pregnancy changes the plan in three main ways. You need Tdap in every pregnancy, preferably early in weeks 27 to 36. A flu vaccine is recommended during flu season. And between September and January in most of the U.S., the CDC recommends one dose of the Abrysvo RSV vaccine at 32 to 36 weeks to protect the baby. The alternative is an antibody shot for the baby after birth.
Some live vaccines, like MMR and chickenpox, aren't given during pregnancy. If you're planning a pregnancy, check your immunity beforehand so you have time to catch up.
How to find your vaccination records#
There's no national database. The CDC's guide to finding adult vaccine records suggests these places to check:
- Your parents or whoever kept your childhood records
- Your current and past doctors' offices, though they only keep records for a limited number of years
- Your high school or college health service
- Past employers that required vaccines, including the military
- Your state's immunization registry, which in many states includes adult vaccines and pharmacy shots
If you can't find a record, don't guess a date. For some diseases, a blood test can show whether you're immune. Otherwise you may need to repeat a vaccine, which the CDC says is not ideal but is safe.
After every shot, save a photo of the record and add the next due date to a recurring reminder in ChoreLists.com or your calendar. A 10-year tetanus booster is exactly the kind of date nobody remembers on their own. Bring the full list to your next preventive checkup, along with your current medication list, so your clinician can spot gaps.
Side effects and when to get help#
A sore arm, tiredness, headache, muscle aches, or a low fever for a day or two are common and usually pass on their own. Serious allergic reactions are rare and usually start within minutes to hours. That's one reason many pharmacies ask you to wait around for about 15 minutes after the shot. Trouble breathing, swelling of the face or throat, a fast heartbeat, widespread hives, or feeling faint after a vaccine need emergency care right away.
In the U.S., you or your clinician can report a reaction to VAERS, the federal vaccine safety reporting system. A report doesn't prove the vaccine caused the problem. It's how safety signals get spotted early.