Vaccinations adults need to stay healthy through winter and beyond

NORTH PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Vaccinations aren't just for kids. Adults need them, too, to protect against serious diseases, colds, flu and more.

With the weather cooling down, virus and respiratory infection season is just ahead.

For many people, getting a flu shot is just part of the fall routine.

A flu vaccine isn't a guarantee you won't catch the flu, but: "It will prevent the most serious forms of illness that can cause death and hospitalizations," says Dr. Alanna Ticali, a family medicine physician with Temple Health.

Dr. Ticali says the flu is hitting more and more people in recent years, with at least 47 million last season alone.

Hospitalizations reached a record high then, likely because fewer than half of Americans were vaccinated.

"It's important to get the flu shot every year because it's slightly different every year," she says.

Children get vaccines because they're too young to have immunity to many diseases. Adults need them because their immunity doesn't last forever.

"As we get older, our immune system weakens and we become most susceptible," says Dr. Ticali.

So, all adults need a T-dap shot every 10 years.

"It's a booster for tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough," she notes.

People working with animals or soil especially need Tdap because they face a higher tetanus risk. It also guards against whooping cough, which was 6 times higher last year than in 2023.

An adult's immunity on this bacteria is very important to others.

"If you are going to see a baby who's not yet old enough to receive their own vaccine against whooping cough, it's really, really important to get vaccinated," Dr. Ticali advises.

The shingles and pneumonia vaccines are recommended for those 50 and older. Pregnant women and older adults need a shot for RSV - respiratory syncytial virus. Adults up to 45 years are eligible for the human papilloma virus vaccine.

Some people need other vaccinations, because of their jobs or compromised immunity.

For anyone uncertain about what they've had or need, your doctor and even your pharmacy can look up your record.