It’s important that seniors make sure to get vaccinated as recommended by their doctor or doctors. Commonly recommended vaccines for people over the age of 50 include influenza (flu), Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis), shingles, and pneumococcal. Depending on the vaccine, you may be required to get the shot once, like the shingles vaccine, annually, like the flu vaccine, or get a booster several years apart, like the Tdap vaccine.
There is a new shingles vaccine called Shingrix that many experts are recommending for people over the age of 50, even if you have already been vaccinated for shingles. Based on recent studies, this new vaccine has been shown to work better at preventing shingles than the vaccine that is already being used. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has voted to recommend the new vaccine, therefore making it more likely that insurance companies will cover the price of the new vaccine.
For more information on which vaccines are recommended for all seniors, review the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Recommended Immunization for Adults chart.
