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Information about vaccinations for adults

Getting vaccinated is one of the best ways to help protect yourself from serious illness. Vaccinations save millions of lives each year. 

You may need different vaccinations at different times in your life. This depends on your age, health, or events such as pregnancy or travel. 

  • If you are pregnant, you can visit our vaccinations in pregnancy webpage for more information. 
  • If you are planning to travel, visit our travel vaccinations webpage for more information about travel vaccinations. 
  • If you need vaccinations because of your job, speak to your employer for more information. 

Adults more at risk from infections 

Some adults are more likely to get seriously ill from infections. This includes: 

  • older adults, and 
  • people with certain long-term health conditions. 

Vaccines help reduce the risk of hospital care, long-term health problems and even death from infections like flu, COVID-19, RSV, pneumococcal disease or shingles. They work by teaching the immune system to build its defences against disease. They help protect you when your body may not be able to fight off the illness easily. 

Vaccines also help stop the spread of disease. By getting vaccinated, you help keep yourself, your family, and your community healthy. 

Click the links in the tables below to learn more about the routine vaccines available for adults.
Vaccine Who is eligible Disease it helps protect against
Shingles • People turning 65 years of age 
• People aged 70 to 79   
• People aged 18 and over with a very weak immune system  		Shingles
Pneumococcal disease • People aged 65 and over  
• Adults at higher risk of becoming seriously ill from pneumococcal disease  		Meningitis (an infection in the brain and spinal cord)  
Sepsis (a life-threatening reaction to an infection) Pneumonia (an infection in the lungs) 
Respiratory syncytial virus • People aged 75 and over 
• People who live in a care home for older adults 
• Pregnant women to protect their babies  		Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) which can lead to severe infections such as pneumonia  

Seasonal vaccines for adults

  • Covid-19

    COVID-19 is a very infectious respiratory disease caused by a virus. It can be more serious in people aged 75 or older and those with a weakened immune system.

  • Flu

    Flu is caused by a virus, which is spread by coughs and sneezes. Flu is more likely to be serious if you have a long-term health condition, are pregnant, or are 65 years of age or older.

Other vaccinations for adults

Some people may need other vaccines or extra doses to help protect them. This includes people with certain health conditions, or those who are more likely to be exposed to illness.  

If this applies to you, your GP surgery, sexual health clinic or specialist healthcare team can give you advice and support based on your needs. 

The table below shows examples of other vaccines you may need and where you can get them. This is not a complete list. You may need other vaccines depending on your job, travel or personal circumstances.
Vaccine Who is eligible Disease it helps protect against Where you can get the vaccine
HPV Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) aged 45 or younger  Cervical cancer, some head and neck and ano-genital cancers, and genital warts caused by human papillomavirus (HPV)  Sexual health clinic
Mpox People at increased risk  Mpox (and smallpox)  Sexual health clinic 
Men B for gonorrhoea People at increased risk   Meningitis B (an infection in the brain and spinal cord) and gonorrhoea  Sexual health clinic 
Hepatitis B People at increased risk  Hepatitis B GP surgery, sexual health clinic, travel clinic or occupational health clinic 
Hepatitis A People at increased risk  Hepatitis A GP surgery, sexual health clinic, travel clinic or occupational health clinic 

If you have missed any vaccinations 

It is important to stay up to date with your vaccinations. If you are not sure whether you have missed any vaccinations, contact your GP or practice nurse. They can check your records and arrange any vaccine appointments they provide. They can also advise you where to get vaccines offered through other services, such as sexual health or travel clinics. 

FAQs

Why is vaccination important for adults?

Thanks to vaccination, diseases like smallpox, polio and tetanus that used to kill or affect millions of people are either gone or very rare in the UK. However, if people stop getting vaccinated, these diseases could return and spread quickly. 

You may need extra (booster) doses of some vaccines to keep your protection up to date. This is very important for infections such as flu or COVID-19, where your protection from the vaccine fades, and the virus keeps changing. Having regular boosters helps keep your protection up to date and lowers your chance of getting seriously ill.

How do vaccines work?

Vaccines work by teaching your immune system how to fight off infections. They train your body to spot and respond to certain diseases before you catch them.  

It’s safer for your body to learn how to fight an illness through vaccination rather than by catching the disease. 

To learn more about how vaccines work, watch the following video: How do vaccines work? — Oxford Vaccine Group (external site) 

Why are some adults more at risk from infections?

Older adults and people with certain long-term health conditions are more likely to become seriously ill from infections. 

As we get older, our immune system doesn’t work as well as it used to. Some health conditions can also weaken the immune system, making you more likely to become seriously ill. This means infections like flu, COVID-19, RSV, shingles and pneumonia can lead to more serious health problems or even hospital care.  

Can I still get an infection even if I have been vaccinated against it?

Vaccination is one of the best ways to prevent serious illness caused by infections. No vaccine gives 100% protection, but it can make the illness much milder if you do catch it.