It's Not Too Late To Vaccinate
Protecting Yourself & Others
Infants, older adults, pregnant individuals, and those with underlying medical conditions remain at increased risk of severe disease from respiratory illnesses such as: COVID-19, influenza, and RSV. Currently, the amount of respiratory illness (fever plus cough or sore throat) causing people to seek healthcare is elevated or increasing across most areas of the country.
Respiratory viruses commonly cause illness such as flu, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), especially in the fall and winter.
Influenza (flu) rates: elevated influenza activity across the country, especially in the south.
COVID-19 rates: elevations in positive testing and hospitalization continue in many parts of the country.
RSV rates: RSV infections remain elevated, with high rates of hospitalization in young children and increasing numbers for the elderly.
National vaccination coverage for respiratory diseases (COVID-19, influenza and RSV) remains low for children and adults. It's not too late to vaccinate; Vaccines are available and can help protect people from serious health effects from fall and winter viruses.
3 Important Reasons to Get Vaccinated
1. You may be at risk for serious diseases that are still common in the U.S.
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.
2. You can't afford to risk getting sick.
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.
3. You can protect your health and the health of those around you by getting the recommended vaccines.
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.
What Vaccines Do You Need?
All adults should get:
- Flu vaccine every year to protect against seasonal flu.
- COVID-19 vaccine; those that are immunocompromised may receive a booster dose 2 months after their initial dose.
- Td/Tdap booster every 10 years to protect against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough).
- Pneumococcal to protect against serious pneumococcal diseases.
- Hepatitis B vaccine series to protect against hepatitis B, especially important for those patients with diabetes.
- Zoster vaccine to protect against shingles if you are 50 years or older.
- RSV vaccine to protect against respiratory illness associated with respiratory syncytial virus for those 60 years or older.
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
- Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
- MMR
- Meningococcal