What vaccines should senior citizens get?

Senior citizens should get key vaccines like annual flu shots, COVID-19 boosters, RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) vaccine, Shingles vaccine, Pneumococcal vaccines (for pneumonia), and Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis), with specific timing and types determined in consultation with their doctor for personalized recommendations.

Which vaccine is most important for the elderly?

The CDC recommends that all adults age 50 and older get pneumococcal vaccination. This vaccine helps protect you from getting a serious infection, including pneumonia. There are multiple forms of the pneumococcal vaccine: Talk to a health care provider to find out which is best for you.

What is the new vaccine for over 75 year olds?

The RSV vaccine helps protect against infection with RSV, a common virus that can make babies and older adults seriously ill. It's offered on the NHS if you're pregnant, aged 75 to 79, or turned 80 after 1 September 2024.

What is the 3 2 1 rule for vaccines?

Lumps that persist for more than 3 months, are larger than 2 cm in diameter or continue to increase in size 1 month after vaccination (the '3-2-1 rule') should be evaluated by fine needle-aspiration or collection of incisional wedge biopsy samples (Scherk et al., 2013; Hartmann et al., 2015; Jas et al., 2021; Hartmann ...

Which vaccines are absolutely necessary?

Absolutely necessary vaccines protect against severe, common, or highly contagious diseases, with core ones including DTaP (Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis), Polio, Hib, MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella), Hepatitis B, Chickenpox, Pneumococcal, Rotavirus, HPV, COVID-19, and Flu, following schedules for infants, children, teens, and adults, with boosters needed for life. Key additions for adults/older adults include Shingles, RSV, and catching up on any missed vaccines like Hepatitis A/B, depending on age, health, and lifestyle.
 

Senior Health Minute | Vaccinations for seniors

Should all seniors get the RSV vaccine?

Yes, seniors should get the RSV vaccine; the CDC recommends it for all adults 75 and older, and for those 50-74 at higher risk for severe illness due to conditions like heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, or a weakened immune system, as RSV can cause serious complications, even hospitalization, in older adults. It's a single dose, best given in late summer/early fall, and not an annual shot.
 

What age is the shingles vaccine free?

The shingles vaccine helps protect against shingles. It's available on the NHS for all adults turning 65, those aged 70 to 79 and those aged 18 and over with a severely weakened immune system.

Should the elderly still get the COVID vaccine?

It is especially important to get your 2025–2026 COVID-19 vaccine if you are ages 65 and older, are at high risk for severe COVID-19, or have never received a COVID-19 vaccine.

How often should I get the RSV vaccine for seniors?

Seniors typically get a single dose of the RSV vaccine, as it's not currently an annual shot, with recommendations for all 75+ and 60-74 at-risk adults to receive one dose for protection lasting potentially two RSV seasons, though further studies are evaluating if boosters are needed. If you've already had it, you generally don't need another dose right now, but consult your doctor for personalized advice on timing (late summer/fall is ideal) and your specific risk factors. 

What is the new vaccine for seniors?

From 1 September 2024, those who turn 75 and those aged 75 to 79 will be eligible for a free vaccine to protect them from respiratory syncytial virus ( RSV ). RSV is an infectious disease of the airways and lungs. RSV infection often causes symptoms similar to a cold, including: cough.

Should seniors get the pneumonia vaccine every year?

No, seniors generally don't get the pneumonia vaccine every year like the flu shot; they usually need a series of shots (often two) or a single dose of a newer vaccine for long-lasting protection (5-10+ years or lifelong), but the exact schedule depends on previous vaccinations and health, requiring a doctor's advice for personalized timing.
 

What vaccines last a lifetime?

Some vaccines, like Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) and the first series for Hepatitis B, often provide lifelong protection after the primary doses, but other "lifetime" vaccines aren't guaranteed, needing boosters for Tetanus/Diphtheria (Tdap/Td), Shingles (Shingrix), and Pneumococcal, while some, like Hepatitis A, need multiple doses for lasting immunity, emphasizing that "lifetime" is relative and boosters keep immunity strong. 

What is the controversy with the RSV vaccine?

We are confronted with a very complicated situation.” Moderna first alerted FDA in mid-July that infants who had received one of two RSV vaccines unexpectedly had higher levels of severe respiratory disease than those given a placebo injection.

Which vaccine is better for seniors, Moderna or Pfizer?

A booster shot with the Moderna vaccine offered older people better protection against COVID-19 if they had previously taken Pfizer jabs, researchers at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) have found.

Who cannot take the RSV vaccine?

You should not take the RSV vaccine if you've had a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to any component of the vaccine, are currently moderately or severely ill (delay until better), or if you are a pregnant person who received the vaccine in a prior pregnancy (as the infant is protected). The vaccines (Arexvy, Abrysvo, mResvia) are approved for older adults (60+) and pregnant individuals, but contraindications exist for those with specific allergies or recent prior vaccination, with medical guidance needed for those with underlying conditions.
 

What will happen if I don't vaccinate?

Yes. The diseases that routine immunisation protect against can be serious and even fatal. We don't hear much about them as they are no longer common due to the success of vaccination programs in Australia. However, If we don't vaccinate, the serious diseases will re-emerge in the community.

Are COVID vaccines really necessary now?

“The mRNA vaccines have done a tremendous job mitigating the COVID pandemic,” said Wu, the Simon H. Stertzer, MD, Professor and a professor of medicine and of radiology. “Without these vaccines, more people would have gotten sick, more people would have had severe effects and more people would have died.”

What vaccines have saved the most lives?

Vaccination benefits

• Measles vaccination can save nearly 19 million lives.
• Hepatitis B vaccination can save 14 million lives.

What vaccines should not be given together?

Most vaccines are safe to give together, but some combinations need spacing, like Pneumococcal vaccines (PCV & PPSV23) or specific Meningococcal (MenACWY-D) with PCV, while the MMRV (measles, mumps, rubella, varicella) is now often split into separate shots for young kids to lower seizure risk; also, oral cholera & oral typhoid need separation due to buffer interference, and certain high-risk groups (no spleen, HIV) need specific spacing for meningococcal/pneumococcal shots. 

What is the 4 day rule for vaccines?

Vaccine doses administered ≤4 days before the minimum age or interval are considered valid. Doses of any vaccine administered ≥5 days earlier than the minimum age or minimum interval should not be counted as valid and should be repeated as age appropriate.

How to avoid injection site sarcoma?

Recommendations for preventing or decreasing the prevalence of injection-site sarcomas in cats are controversial, and include a change in vaccination site location, decreased use of polyvalent vaccines, use of non-adjuvanted vaccines, avoiding the use of aluminum-based adjuvants, and not overvaccinating, among others.