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What Vaccines Do I Need?
From flu and COVID-19 to shingles and RSV, here’s how to figure out which shots belong on your fall checklist
James Yates
What vaccines do I need to get this fall?
When patients ask me about vaccines, I find it useful to put them into two categories. First are the foundational vaccines: shots you should take due to your age, health history or particular circumstances. Once you’ve received them, you may never need another dose. The second category is vaccines that need to be kept up-to-date, particularly those that protect against illnesses that become more consequential in the fall and winter.
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Let’s start with the foundational group. Shingles belongs here. If you’re 50 or older and have not completed the two-dose Shingrix series, you should do so. Shingles occurs when the chickenpox virus, which lies dormant in the body after an earlier infection, reactivates years later. It can cause headaches, rash, blisters, severe nerve pain and, if it affects the eyes, serious complications. The good news: After you’ve completed the two-dose series, you won’t need a routine booster.
Vaccines After 50
For more information on what vaccines you need — and when — visit our Vaccines After 50 page.
There’s another intriguing reason to take this vaccine. A 2025 study followed more than 280,000 people over seven years and found that those who got the vaccine had a 20 percent lower chance of developing dementia. A follow-up study reported that the vaccine may also slow the progress of the disease. Those and similar findings may add to your reasons for not putting off the shingles vaccination.
Generally speaking, the pneumococcal vaccine is another important one. Pneumococcal bacteria are a major cause of pneumonia, which can be very dangerous if you’re weakened by another illness, surgery or hospitalization. Exactly which pneumococcal vaccine you need, and whether you need another dose, depends on your age and vaccination history, so check with your doctor rather than guessing. (Find out more in 5 Reasons You Should Get the Pneumonia Vaccine.)
An RSV vaccine, which helps protect you against the respiratory syncytial virus, also belongs in this category. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a single dose for everyone 75 and older and for adults 50 through 74 who are at increased risk for severe RSV, including those with certain heart or lung conditions. It is not currently an annual vaccine.
Now we move to the second category: vaccines that need to be kept up-to-date. The most familiar one is influenza. Older adults should get a flu vaccine every year. For people 65 and older, the CDC recommends either an adjuvanted or recombinant vaccine rather than a regular dose, because these formulations are designed to produce a stronger immune response.
Timing matters, too. A flu vaccination takes about two weeks to build its initial protection, which is why I don’t recommend waiting until a flu is already circulating widely. September or October is generally a good time to get your vaccine.
COVID-19 vaccination is another in the “keep current” category, although the decision is more individualized now. For fall 2026, an updated vaccine formulation is available. It is approved for all adults 65 and older and for people with an underlying health issue that puts them at higher risk for severe illness. The CDC’s list of health issues that qualify them for the vaccine is wide-ranging and includes everything from heart and lung disease to depression and physical inactivity.
Two more vaccines are worth checking while you’re reviewing your records. Tdap, which protects against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis, generally requires a tetanus-containing booster every 10 years. Tdap is especially important to remember if you’ll be around a newborn, because whooping cough can be dangerous for infants and older adults alike.
More from Dr. Adam
Some vaccines depend on circumstances other than age. For instance, hepatitis A and B vaccinations may be recommended due to travel or other risk factors.
Finally, don’t rely on your memory to determine what you’ve already received. Ask your doctor’s office or pharmacy to review your vaccination record. I find that many people forget which vaccines they received or when they got them.
Vaccines are our best defense against a very common set of infections. So make sure you get the protection that makes sense for your age, health and circumstances, and stay on top of the vaccines that require regular updating. Give yourself a shot against a common set of infections that can hit older adults particularly hard.
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