Protecting Adults Through Vaccines

Disease*	Who Should Be Vaccinated
Anthrax	People who have been exposed to anthrax People who may be exposed to anthrax, such as the following: Some military personnel Some laboratory workers Veterinarians Employees of textile mills processing imported goat hair
Chikungunya	Adults traveling to certain areas where there is a chikungunya outbreak Laboratory workers
Chickenpox (varicella)	All adults who have not had the vaccine or chickenpox Some people at high risk of exposure (for example, health care workers and people who live or work in places where exposure or transmission is likely)
COVID-19	Varies (see CDC: Use of COVID-19 Vaccines in the US
Diphtheria	All adults (usually as a combination vaccine with tetanus as Td or also with pertussis as Tdap) if they have not already been vaccinated Pregnant people should receive Tdap during each pregnancy After delivery, postpartum people who have never received Tdap
Ebola	rVSV-ZEBOV vaccine: Adults in the United States who are at high risk of occupational exposure to Ebola because they are doing the following: Responding to an outbreak of Ebola virus disease Working as health care personnel at federally designated Ebola treatment centers in the United States Working as laboratory personnel or as other staff at biosafety level 4 facilities in the United States Working as laboratory personnel or support staff members at Laboratory Response Network facilities Ad26.ZEBOV and MVA-BN-Filo vaccines: All people 1 year of age and older in who are in areas where there is an outbreak of Ebola virus disease or who are in areas where this disease is common
Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) infections (such as meningitis)	Adults who have not been vaccinated and who are at increased risk, such as the following: People who do not have a spleen or their spleen does not work well and they have not been vaccinated People who have had stem cell transplantation even if they have been vaccinated
Hepatitis A	Adults who have not been vaccinated and who are at increased risk, such as the following: People who travel to or work in areas where the infection is common People whose job puts them at risk of exposure (such as people who work with primates infected with hepatitis A virus or who work with the virus in a research laboratory) People who use illicit drugs (injected or not) Men who have sex with men People who have a chronic liver disorder or high levels of certain liver enzymes in their blood People who anticipate close contact with an internationally adopted child during the first 60 days after the child arrives in the United States from an area where hepatitis A is common People who are experiencing homelessness Pregnant people who are at risk of getting hepatitis A infection during pregnancy (such as people who are international travelers, who use illicit drugs [injected or not], who may be exposed at work, who anticipate close personal contact with an internationally adopted child, or who are experiencing homelessness) or who are at risk of getting very sick or dying of hepatitis A virus infection (such as pregnant people who have chronic liver disease or HIV infection)
Hepatitis B	All unvaccinated adults 19–59 years of age All unvaccinated adults 60 years of age and older with risk factors for hepatitis B. Adults 60 years of age and older without known risk factors for hepatitis B may also receive the hepatitis B vaccine. Risk factors include the following: Health care or public safety workers Travelers to areas where the infection is common People with a chronic liver disorder or high levels of certain liver enzymes in their blood People with kidney failure who need dialysis People who inject illicit drugs People who have had more than one sex partner during the past 6 months People who need to be evaluated or treated for a sexually transmitted infection Men who have sex with men Sex partners and household contacts of people known to be carriers of hepatitis B People with HIV infection People who have diabetes (after discussing with a health care professional) People who have spent time (as patients, residents, or employees) in correctional facilities or in facilities that provide services for people at high risk of hepatitis B (such as substance abuse treatment centers, sites for illicit injection drug use, hemodialysis centers, institutions for people with developmental disabilities, and places where people with sexually transmitted infections or HIV infection are tested and treated)
Human papillomavirus (HPV)	All males and females at age 11 or 12 (but can be started at age 9) and previously unvaccinated or not adequately vaccinated people through age 26 years Adults 27 to 45 years old should talk with a health care professional about whether they should be vaccinated People who have a weakened immune system, including people with HIV infection
Influenza	All people over age 6 months
Malaria	Adults in some areas with moderate to high transmission of malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum may benefit from receiving the RTS,S malaria vaccine.
Measles	All adults born in or after 1957 unless they have documentation of vaccination with one or more doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine or laboratory tests detect evidence of measles immunity Always given as a combination vaccine with mumps and rubella (not available as a single vaccine)
Meningococcal meningitis	Certain unvaccinated people over age 55 People 16 to 23 years of age who want it People at increased risk, such as the following: People who do not have a spleen or their spleen does not work well (including sickle cell disease) People with HIV infection People who take eculizumab or ravulizumab (medications that block the complement system) People who work in a microbiology laboratory who are routinely exposed to the bacteria Adolescents 11 to 18 years old if they have not already been vaccinated First-year college students who live in dormitories who are 21 years old or younger and who have not been given a dose of the vaccine on or after their 16th birthday Military recruits Travelers to or residents of areas where the infection is common People who have been exposed during a meningitis outbreak
Mpox (monkeypox)	Adults age 18 years or older who are at high risk of mpox (or smallpox), including pregnant people People who have or may have been exposed to mpox People at increased risk, such as the following: People who have had more than one sex partner within the past 6 months People who need to be evaluated or treated for a sexually transmitted infection People who have had sex at a commercial sex venue or at a large commercial event or have had sex in exchange for money, goods, or illicit drugs Men who have sex with men People who work in professions where they may be exposed to blood or other potentially infectious body fluids, such as health care, custodial, or public safety workers Household contact and/or sexual contact with a person who has mpox Known or suspected exposure a person who has mpox or who has any of the above risk factors People who travel to areas where the infection is common or risk of exposure to the infection is high
Mumps	All adults born in or after 1957 unless they have documentation of vaccination with one or more doses of the MMR vaccine or if laboratory tests detect evidence of mumps immunity Always given as a combination vaccine with measles and rubella (not available as a single vaccine)
Pertussis (whooping cough)	All adults (usually given as a combination vaccine with tetanus and diphtheria as Tdap) if they have not already been vaccinated Pregnant people during each pregnancy
Pneumococcal infections (such as meningitis and pneumonia)	All people 50 years old and older who have not previously received a conjugate vaccine or whose vaccination history is unknown Adults 19 to 49 years old who have certain medical conditions or other risk factors such as the following: Chronic heart, lung (including asthma and emphysema), kidney, or liver disorder Diabetes Cerebrospinal fluid leak Weakened immune system (including those with HIV infection, leukemia, lymphoma, or cancer, those who take medications that suppress the immune system [immunosuppressants], and those who have had certain organ transplants) Missing spleen or their spleen does not work well (including those with sickle cell disease) Cochlear implant Alcohol use disorder Cigarette smoking
Polio	Adults at increased risk, such as Travelers to areas where polio is common Laboratory workers who work with the polio virus People who treat people who may have polio People who are unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated
Rabies	People who have been bitten by certain animals People who may be at increased risk of exposure to infected animals, such as: Veterinarians and animal handlers Laboratory workers who handle animals that may be rabid People who explore bat caves People who live or stay more than 30 days in countries where rabies in dogs is widespread
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)	All adults age 75 years or older Some adults age 60 years or older (after discussing with a health care professional) Pregnant people at 32 to 36 weeks gestation for the prevention of lower respiratory tract disease caused by RSV in infants from birth through 6 months of age
Rubella (German measles)	All adults born in or after 1957 unless they have documentation of vaccination with one or more doses of the MMR vaccine or if laboratory tests detect evidence of rubella immunity People who are planning on becoming pregnant and do not have immunity to rubella Always given as a combination vaccine with measles and mumps (not available as a single vaccine)
Shingles (herpes zoster)	People 50 years old and over People 19 years old and over who have or will have a weakened immune system because of a disease or treatment for a disease
Smallpox	Not currently recommended except for people at high risk of being exposed to the smallpox virus, such as laboratory workers who directly handle the virus and related materials
Tetanus	All adults every 10 years (usually as a combination vaccine with tetanus and diphtheria as Td or also with pertussis as Tdap) if they have not already been vaccinated People who have a wound that poses an increased risk of tetanus if 5 years or more have passed since their last dose Pregnant women should receive Tdap during each pregnancy
Typhoid	People traveling to areas where the infection is common People who live in a household with or have close contact with a typhoid carrier Laboratory workers who work with the bacteria that cause typhoid fever
Yellow fever	People traveling to Central Africa, southern Panama, and South America, where the infection is common
* Vaccines are available in the United States for these infections.
HIV = human immunodeficiency virus; Td = tetanus-diphtheria; Tdap = tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis.

In these topics

Overview of Immunization