Vaccinations to protect your health in the golden years

As we age, our immune systems weaken, making it important for adults over the age of 50 to stay updated on essential vaccines to protect against preventable disease and maintain optimal health.

Older adults are at a higher risk of developing serious illnesses and complications from those illnesses, including hospital stays. If that’s the bad news, the good news is that vaccines can protect older adults by strengthening their immune systems. And when older adults protect themselves, that coverage extends to babies, young children and other older adults they come in contact with.

Understanding the alphabet soup of vaccines can be overwhelming. So, here’s a breakdown of vaccines recommended for older adults. Note that the age to get each vaccine may vary.

The following vaccinations are recommended for adults over the age of 50:

COVID-19

The COVID-19 vaccine, similar to the flu vaccine, is updated every six months to a year to address the prevalent strains. Once you’ve had the COVID-19 vaccine, you should follow up with a booster COVID-19 vaccine, which strengthens your existing immunity and provides protection from currently circulating variants.

While the updated vaccines are generally available in the fall (when new strains tend to develop), these vaccines can be given at any time. If you or others close to you have compromised immunization systems, COVID-19 vaccine boosters are especially important to guard against spreading the virus. Current guidelines recommend getting a COVID-19 booster yearly. Talk to your care team about how often to have a COVID-19 booster vaccine based on your health.

Flu

The flu vaccine is updated annually to be effective against the most common strains expected for the season. Everyone six months and older should get an annual flu vaccine. Ideally, you should be vaccinated by the end of October each year to protect you when the flu season starts. It takes at least two weeks for the vaccine to be effective.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommends that people age 65 and older receive a higher-dose flu vaccine or an adjuvanted flu vaccine (which has an additional ingredient called an adjuvant that helps create a stronger immune response). These vaccines are potentially more effective than standard flu vaccines for people in this age group.

The CDC and the March of Dimes also recommend that any adult (over 19 years) who plans to be around babies under 6 months of age have this vaccine. Babies cannot get the flu vaccine until they are 6 months old, so unvaccinated adults and young children are the ones who spread the virus to them. For many older adults, this helps ensure they’re not carrying the virus to grandchildren.

Older adults with immune system concerns should speak to their doctor before getting the higher-dose flu vaccine.

Pneumococcal conjugate (Pneumonia)

Pneumococcal disease is an infection of the lungs that is common in young children, but older adults are at greatest risk of serious illness and death. Pneumococcal bacteria cause pneumonia in most adults, but the vaccine is designed to target many variants. If adults 65 and older have not already done so, they should receive the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. You will receive two shots after age 65 covering you for your lifetime.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)

This common virus causes cold-like symptoms, but with older adults, these mild symptoms are much more likely to become more serious. Adults at highest risk for severe RSV infection include older adults, adults with chronic heart or lung disease, adults with weakened immune systems, adults with certain other underlying medical conditions, and adults living in nursing homes or long-term care facilities.

The CDC recommends all adults 60 years of age and older receive the RSV vaccine. Like the flu vaccine, it is usually best given in the fall and winter months but can also be given at any time. The RSV vaccine will last for two RSV seasons.

Shingles

If you’ve ever had chickenpox, the virus that caused it still lives in your body. The virus stays dormant (inactive) in the body but can reactivate years later and cause shingles.

Shingles impact nerves and, when activated, cause uncomfortable burning, a rash with blisters and itching. In addition, shingles can lead to a condition called PHN (post-herpetic neuralgia), where people are left with continued burning pain after the rash disappears.

All adults over the age of 50 should get vaccinated for shingles, even if they’ve already had chickenpox or shingles. If you’ve already had shingles, the vaccine can help prevent future occurrences of the disease. The shingles vaccine is given in two doses over a short period of time, usually two to six months. No additional booster is needed.

Tetanus, Diptheria, Pertussis (Td, Tdap)

Vaccines used in the U.S. against diphtheria and tetanus (i.e., Td) sometimes also include protection against whooping cough or pertussis (i.e. DTaP, Tdap). The CDC recommends diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough (pertussis) vaccination for everyone.

Diphtheria and whooping cough spread from person to person, while tetanus enters the body through cuts or wounds. All these conditions can cause serious complications and death. Older adults are particularly vulnerable to severe outcomes and complications caused by whooping cough. While it is commonly considered a childhood disease, hospitalization rates among older adults are the second highest after infants.

The CDC recommends the whooping cough vaccine for people of all ages. Adults who have never received one should get a Tdap shot. This can be given at any time, regardless of when they last got a Td vaccine (which covers tetanus and diphtheria). A Td or Tdap shot should be repeated every 10 years.

Travel vaccines

If you’re planning to travel overseas, check with your care team about what vaccines you may need. They should be given four to six weeks before you travel to become fully effective in time for travel. These vaccines will be based on where you are traveling, activities planned and your medical history.

Check with your care team

You may need other vaccines, which are best discussed with your care team. Your recommendations will be based on your personal health, whether you received or missed them as a child, whether you’ve smoked in the past, whether you will be around children and infants and other factors. Some vaccines carry a risk, so your care team will work with you to determine whether or not the vaccine is right for you.

All of these vaccines are available through your primary care office and insurance generally covers the cost. You’ll want to keep a good record of what you’ve had and when you received it. If you have Sentara MyChart, it will also keep track of any vaccinations you have with a SentaraMyChart-connected provider.

Vaccines are an important part of life for adults over 50. They protect you from serious illnesses and they also help protect the ones you love (especially babies and young children).

Schedule an appointment with a Sentara provider to update your vaccinations.