What vaccines are recommended for adults?

The vaccines you need as an adult depend on your age, overall health, pregnancy status, job, and travel plans.

Your needs also depend on who you are in close contact with and which vaccines you had in the past

Some vaccines protect for life, while others need to be repeated (boosted) after a certain period of time.

Examples of vaccines that need repeating are:

• Every year – everyone 6 months and older should have the influenza vaccine.
• Every ten years – all adults should have the combined tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine (Tdap).
• Every pregnancy – a dose of Tdap vaccine is recommended between 27-32 weeks of pregnancy, even if it has been less than ten years since the last dose.

Other vaccines may also be recommended.

People who could become pregnant should check with their health care provider to make sure they’re protected against rubella (German measles) and varicella (chickenpox).

Talk with your health care provider about your needs and your medical history. It’s important to be up-to-date with all routine immunizations.

Make an appointment at the community or public health centre closest to you. Use the find Community Health Centres search tool or call Health Link at 811 to find the centre nearest you.

For recommended immunizations, see the Alberta Health Services adult immunization schedule.