Based on your age, health conditions, vaccines 

you received as a child, and other factors, 

you may need additional vaccines such as:

• Chickenpox

• Hepatitis A

• Hepatitis B

• Human Papillomavirus (HPV)

• MMR

• Meningococcal

• Pneumococcal

• Shingles

You may not realize you need vaccines throughout your adult life. 

Vaccines are important to your health and here are three reasons why.

3 Important Reasons 

For Adults to 

Get Vaccinated

Information Series for Adults

1. You may be at risk for serious diseases that are still

common in the U.S.

2. You can’t afford to risk getting sick.

3. You can protect your health and the health of those

around you by getting the recommended vaccines.

All adults should get:

• Flu vaccine every year to

protect against seasonal flu

• Td/Tdap to protect against

tetanus, diphtheria, and

pertussis (whooping cough)

DON’T WAIT.

VACCINATE!

Each year thousands of adults in the United States get sick from diseases that could be 

prevented by vaccines — some people are hospitalized, and some even die.

Even if you got all your vaccines as a child, the protection from some vaccines can wear off 

over time. You may also be at risk for other diseases due to your age, job, lifestyle, travel, or 

health conditions.

Even healthy people can get sick enough to miss work or school. If you’re sick, you may not 

be able to take care of your family or other responsibilities.

Vaccines lower your chance of getting sick. Vaccines work with your body’s natural 

defenses to lower the chances of getting certain diseases as well as suffering complications 

from these diseases.

Vaccines lower your chance of spreading certain diseases. There are many things you 

want to pass on to your loved ones; a vaccine preventable disease is not one of them. 

Infants, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems (like those undergoing 

cancer treatment) are especially vulnerable to vaccine preventable diseases.

Vaccines are one of the safest ways to protect your health. Vaccine side effects are 

usually mild and go away on their own. Severe side effects are very rare.

Getting Vaccinated

Adults can get vaccines at doctors’ offices, pharmacies, workplaces, community 

health clinics, health departments, and other locations. To find a vaccine provider 

near you, go to http://vaccine.healthmap.org.

Most health insurance plans cover the cost of recommended vaccines. Check with 

your insurance provider for details and for a list of vaccine providers. If you do 

not have health insurance, visit www.healthcare.gov to learn more about health 

coverage options.

What vaccines do you need?

March 2020
Diseases and the vaccines

that help prevent them How the disease can affect you

Influenza “Flu”

Seasonal flu vaccine

Fever or feeling feverish/chills, cough, headache, runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, muscle or body aches, and 

fatigue (very tired), and some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children 

than adults. Disease Complications: Pneumonia (infection in the lungs), worsening of chronic health conditions, hospitalization, possibly resulting in disability, or even death

Hepatitis A

Hep A vaccine

Fever, tiredness, stomach pain, loss of appetite, vomiting, jaundice (yellowing of skin and eyes), and dark urine; 

however, there may be no symptoms. Disease Complications: Liver failure; arthralgia (joint pain); and kidney, 

pancreatic, and blood disorders

Hepatitis B

Hep B vaccine

Flu-like illness with loss of appetite, fever, tiredness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, jaundice, and joint pain; however, there may be no symptoms. Disease Complications: Chronic liver infection, liver failure, and liver cancer

Human Papillomavirus

(HPV)

HPV vaccine

Frequently, there are no symptoms for years until cancer appears. Disease Complications: Cervical, vaginal, 

and vulvar cancers in women; penile cancer in men; and genital warts and anal and oropharyngeal cancers 

in both women and men.

Measles

MMR vaccine

Fever, runny nose, cough and a rash all over the body. Disease Complications: Ear infection, pneumonia, 

swelling in the brain due to infection, or even death

Meningococcal Disease 

Meningococcal vaccines

Nausea, vomiting, stiff neck, fever, headache, increased sensitivity to light, confusion, tiredness, and rash.

Disease Complications: Brain damage, loss of arms or legs, loss of hearing, seizures, strokes, or even death

Pneumococcal Disease 

Pneumococcal vaccines

Fever, chills, difficulty breathing, chest pain, stiff neck, earache, increased sensitivity to light, and cough. 

Disease Complications: Infections of the lung, middle ear, or sinuses, heart problems, brain damage, loss of 

hearing, loss of arms or legs, or even death

Shingles

Zoster vaccine

Painful rash on one side of the face or body, which blisters and then typically scabs, headache, fever, chills, and 

upset stomach. Disease Complications: Severe pain that can last for months or years after the rash goes away, 

pneumonia, loss of eyesight and hearing, or even death

Tetanus

Td/Tdap vaccines

Serious, painful spasms and stiffness of all muscles, lockjaw (difficulty opening mouth), difficulty swallowing or 

breathing, muscle spasms, and fever. Disease Complications: Broken bones, breathing difficulty, or even death

Whooping Cough

(Pertussis) 

Tdap vaccines

Prolonged cold symptoms (cough and runny nose) leading to violent coughing or choking making it hard to 

breathe, drink, or eat. Disease Complications: Rib fractures, pneumonia, or even death

For a full list of all diseases that can be prevented by vaccines, visit: www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac

3 Important Reasons 

For Adults to 

Get Vaccinated

Information Series for Adults

DON’T WAIT.

VACCINATE!

March 2020

Traveling overseas? There may be additional vaccines you need.

Find out at: www.cdc.gov/travel

Talk with your healthcare professional to make sure you are up to date with the

vaccines recommended for you.

For more information on vaccines, visit www.cdc.gov/vaccines/adults or use the AdultVaccine Assessment Tool at www2.cdc.gov/nip/adultimmsched/ to find out which 

vaccines you may need.