Children's Vaccines Health Center

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This shot (called Zostavax) protects against shingles.

Who should get it?

• Adults ages 60 and older need one dose, whether or not they've had shingles before. People ages 50 to 59 can also get this shot.

Zostavax is not a substitute for the chickenpox shot (Varivax).

Tetanus and diphtheria (Td) or Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap) (What is a PDF document?)

The Tdap shot protects against tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough (pertussis). The Td shot does not protect against pertussis.

Who should get it?

• All adults need Td booster shots every 10 years throughout life.
• All adults 19 to 64 years of age should have one shot of Tdap in place of a Td shot.
• All adults (including adults older than 64) who have or expect to have close contact with a baby younger than 1 year of age should get one Tdap shot if they never had it before. This is to protect the baby from whooping cough. It's important to get the shot at least 2 weeks before having close contact with the baby.

Adults age 65 and older can get one Tdap shot if they want protection from pertussis.

Other immunizations

You may need or want additional immunizations if certain situations raise your chance for exposure to disease. Or you may have missed shots when you were younger. Or a vaccine may not have been offered when you were younger. These immunizations may include:

Human papillomavirus (HPV)

The vaccines Cervarix(What is a PDF document?) and Gardasil(What is a PDF document?) protect against two types of human papillomavirus (HPV) that cause cervical cancer. Gardasil also protects against two types of HPV that cause genital warts. And it protects against some uncommon cancers, such as vaginal cancer.

Who should get it?

• Females 13 to 26 years old need three doses of either Cervarix or Gardasil, given over 6 months.
• Males ages 9 to 26 can get three Gardasil shots to reduce the chance of getting genital warts.

If you already have HPV infection, talk with your doctor about whether to get immunized. The shot has not been shown to help existing HPV infection, but it may protect you from other HPV infections.

Meningococcal (conjugate or polysaccharide, depending on your age) (What is a PDF document?)

This shot protects against a bacteria that causes meningitis and blood infections (sepsis).

Who should get it?

• Adults who have a damaged or missing spleen or who have certain immune system problems need two initial doses and then a booster dose every 5 years.
• Adults who have a higher risk than others for getting and having severe problems from meningitis need one shot. This includes adults who will travel or live in areas of the world where the disease is common.