Frequently asked questions about vaccines for adults

This article is up to date as of August 06, 2026, and is based on vaccine guidance provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Individual states may adopt their own vaccine policies and recommendations based on local public health assessments and regulatory frameworks. For the most up-to-date information, consult your state or local health department or your health care provider.

If someone signed up for a COVID-19 or flu vaccine recently, they might have been asked if they wanted to receive other vaccines as well. Hepatitis B? Shingles? Tetanus? Here’s how someone can confirm their current vaccination status and get help in finding out their vaccine eligibility. 

In this article:

Why are vaccines important?

Vaccines play a critical role in helping prevent the spread of infectious diseases. They can help safeguard people against getting severely sick — or even dying — and can provide protection against dangerous complications caused by preventable diseases.

If someone works or spends time in large group settings or close quarters, getting vaccinated can also help them avoid spreading preventable diseases to others. Certain state laws may mandate vaccines for specific groups, including children in day care or school, health care workers in facilities with vulnerable people (e.g., hospitals and nursing homes) and young adults in college. These laws can vary from state to state. 

How can vaccines help people avoid getting sick?

Vaccines are the most effective part of protection against infectious diseases. They provide an important contribution to a larger overall precautionary strategy.

Using a layered approach works best. “In addition to getting vaccinated and taking other precautions, people should also support their immune system by eating healthy, getting enough sleep, finding ways to address stress and optimizing our health by controlling any chronic conditions, like high blood pressure or diabetes,” says Farshad Fani Marvasti, MD, MPH, associate professor and director of public health, prevention and health promotion at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Phoenix.

How to get vaccination records

To confirm their vaccination history a person can try contacting their health care provider’s office, which may have a record of their previous vaccinations. If they don’t have a regular primary care physician, they may need to do some digging.

To locate vaccination records, it may be helpful to call previously attended schools that required vaccines, check with parents or look in old baby books. People can also explore their state’s department of health website to see if they maintain an immunization registry with accessible immunization records. If someone received a vaccine from a pharmacy, they could ask the pharmacy for those immunization records or possibly even sign in to the pharmacy’s website to print out the information.

If none of that leads to success, there are still options. There are blood tests that can be done to check for immunity against certain diseases, including hepatitis, measles or mumps. If someone received vaccines for these conditions in the past, the tests may be able to pick up the antibody titers (the level of antibodies they have in their blood). “Many universities and some businesses require these antibody titers to verify vaccination,” Dr. Marvasti adds.

If someone doesn’t have sufficient antibodies present in their blood tests, a booster may be recommended. Health care providers may recommend that people get vaccinated if there is any uncertainty around their vaccination history. 

Which vaccines can be administered at the same time?

Administering multiple vaccines at once is generally safe and has several advantages. For example, it can be desirable to limit the number of times people need to visit their primary care provider’s office or other health care provider. To reduce the number of shots a patient receives during such a visit, some vaccines are offered as combination vaccines — meaning two or more vaccines have been combined into a single shot.

For adults, it’s typically okay to get a COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines, like the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, on the same day. Live vaccines — like live attenuated influenza and MMR — can be given at the same time if indicated. If someone has experienced side effects from simultaneous vaccinations in the past, they should check with a health care provider first. It may be possible to split combination vaccines and get them separately.

Which vaccines are important for adults?

Many vaccines are recommended for adults ages 19 and older. When considering a vaccine, be sure to speak with a health care provider about age requirements, guidance around certain medical conditions, special situations and spacing between doses if more than one dose is required.

There are also recommended vaccine schedules for children. However, there are certain instances in which people should not get certain vaccines or should wait to get them — this can be due to age, health conditions or other factors. Having a weakened immune system or being pregnant might be reasons to skip or delay certain vaccines. A health care provider can offer personalized guidance on which vaccines are appropriate and the best time to receive them.

Those who can stick to the recommended schedule will likely be recommended the following vaccines:

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)

Officials began recommending the RSV vaccine for older adults in 2023. RSV is a common respiratory virus that can lead to major lung infections like pneumonia and bronchiolitis. At this time, one dose of the vaccine is recommended to protect against RSV disease in adults ages 50 and older who are at high risk for severe RSV, and for all adults over age 75.

Influenza inactivated, influenza recombinant or influenza live attenuated

• One dose of an age-appropriate influenza (flu) vaccine should be received annually, with rare exceptions.
• The live attenuated flu vaccine is only suggested for certain adults through the age of 49.
• It is recommended that adults age 65 or older receive an age-appropriate flu vaccine that is adjuvanted, high-dose or recombinant.

Tetanus and diphtheria (Td) or tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (Tdap)

• One dose of Tdap should be received at or after age 11 or 12 and then a booster dose of Td or Tdap every 10 years (or sooner for certain wound-management situations).
• One dose of Tdap (not Td) should also be received during each pregnancy, preferably in the early part of gestational weeks 27 to 36.

Zoster recombinant (RZV), commonly known as shingles

Two doses of the shingles vaccine should be given 2 to 6 months apart to those who are:

• Ages 19 through 49 who have certain immunocompromising health conditions
• Age 50 and older

Pneumococcal (PCV15, PCV20, PCV21 and PPSV23), commonly referred to as pneumonia

There is a wide variety of recommendations for pneumococcal vaccines, which can vary depending on prior vaccination history. Speak with a health care provider to determine eligibility for a vaccination. This vaccine is typically recommended for:

• Ages 19 through 49 with certain underlying medical conditions or other risk factors
• All adults age 50 and older

Other vaccines

Below are some other vaccines that may be recommended for certain adults. People should speak with their health care provider to determine their eligibility for these vaccinations.

• Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine
• Hepatitis A vaccine
• Hepatitis B vaccine
• Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine
• Meningococcal vaccine
• MMR vaccine
• Varicella (VAR or chickenpox) vaccine

Where can someone get vaccinated?

People can consult a health care provider to find out what vaccines they may need and where to get them. Pharmacy® offers a variety of different vaccines.