From Tetanus boosters to Shingles and HPV — adult vaccine needs shift with age, health, and lifestyle, and most adults have fallen behind without realising it.
Vaccines for adults are recommended based on age, prior vaccinations, health conditions, lifestyle, occupation, and travel — not a single fixed list everyone follows. Childhood immunization is actively tracked through school; adult vaccination relies on the individual remembering, which is exactly why most adults are behind without realising it.
Some adult vaccines protect against diseases that become more dangerous with age (like pneumonia or shingles), others address immunity that fades over time (like tetanus), and others are recommended based on specific risk factors (like Hepatitis B for healthcare workers). Understanding which category applies to you is the first step.
Recommendations from public health bodies (CDC/ACIP-informed) — always confirm your specific situation with a doctor before vaccination.
Adults who've completed their primary series should get a Td booster every 10 years. One Tdap dose can replace Td at any point in that cycle.
Everyone, especially those with weakened immune systems.
Those with prior seizures or an allergic reaction to Tdap.
Protects against three highly contagious diseases. Adults without evidence of immunity should receive two doses.
Anyone without prior MMR vaccination or measles history.
Pregnant women (live vaccine) and immunosuppressed individuals.
A standard part of routine vaccination — two doses for adults without evidence of immunity.
Adults with no history of chickenpox or prior vaccination.
Pregnant women, immunosuppressed, or those with recent blood transfusion.
Protects against painful shingles rash and postherpetic neuralgia, a burning-pain complication that can follow it.
All adults 50+, including those who've had chickenpox or shingles before.
Pregnant women, immunosuppressed, or those allergic to gelatine/neomycin.
Protects against infections linked to cervical, vulvar, vaginal, penile, anal, and throat cancers.
Recommended at age 11-12; can be given up to 26 (sometimes later per doctor).
Pregnant women and those with a known vaccine allergy.
Protects against Streptococcus pneumoniae infections — pneumonia, meningitis, bloodstream infections. Different versions cover different numbers of strains.
Adults 50+, and anyone with chronic illness or a weakened immune system.
Those with a known allergic reaction to the vaccine.
Both viruses infect the liver — Hep A spreads via contaminated food/water, Hep B via blood and bodily fluids.
Travellers, healthcare workers, and anyone wanting broad protection.
Those with a known allergic reaction to either vaccine.
An annual vaccine, since circulating flu strains change each year — the single dose most people should renew yearly.
Everyone over 6 months old, ideally every year.
Those with severe egg allergy or prior Guillain-Barré syndrome.
This is general reference information, not personalised medical advice — always confirm suitability with a doctor before vaccination.
Tell us which vaccine you need and your pincode.
Someone who's already had a nurse visit nearby.
Who they used, cost, and how it went.
Contact them directly — we're not involved.
"Turned 50 and my doctor mentioned the Shingles and Pneumococcal vaccines, but I had no idea where to start looking for a nurse who could come home. A colleague who'd just gone through the same age-milestone conversation with her doctor gave me her nurse's number. Got both sorted within a week."
Vaccination isn't just for children — millions of adults worldwide are hospitalised each year for diseases that vaccines could have easily prevented. This guide covers every commonly recommended adult vaccine in depth, who should and shouldn't get each one, how to reconstruct a vaccination history, and what to expect from a home visit.
The need for vaccination doesn't go away with age — regular adult vaccines help boost the efficacy of childhood vaccines that fade over time, build immunity against newer age-related risks, and provide protection when immunity is otherwise suppressed by illness or treatment. Recommendations are based on a genuine mix of factors: age, prior vaccination history, current health conditions, lifestyle, occupation, and travel plans — which is why there's no single list every adult follows identically.
Adults who've completed their primary vaccination series should receive a Td booster every 10 years until age 65, with a single Tdap dose able to substitute for Td at any point in that cycle — Tdap additionally covers pertussis (whooping cough), which matters particularly for anyone in contact with infants too young to be fully vaccinated themselves. This vaccine is recommended for essentially everyone, especially those with weakened immune systems, though people with a history of seizures or an allergic reaction to a previous Tdap dose should discuss alternatives with their doctor.
MMR protects against three highly contagious diseases — measles, mumps, and rubella — and adults without documented immunity should receive two doses, or one dose of measles vaccine followed by one dose of MMR. This is a live vaccine, meaning it contains a weakened form of the actual virus, which is precisely why it's contraindicated for pregnant women and anyone significantly immunosuppressed (through HIV/AIDS, cancer treatment, or a blood disorder) — the weakened virus could pose genuine risk in these situations.
Varicella vaccine is a standard part of routine adult immunization for anyone without documented evidence of chickenpox immunity — this typically means two doses of the single-antigen vaccine, or a second dose for those who received only one previously. Like MMR, this is a live vaccine and carries the same contraindications: pregnancy, immunosuppression, recent blood transfusion, or active HIV/AIDS or cancer treatment.
The shingles vaccine protects against a painful, blistering rash caused by reactivation of the same virus that causes chickenpox — anyone who's had chickenpox carries this virus dormant in their body for life, with reactivation risk increasing significantly with age. Beyond the rash itself, the vaccine also protects against postherpetic neuralgia, a burning nerve pain that can persist for months after the rash itself clears, and which can be genuinely debilitating. All adults over 50 are recommended to get this vaccine, including those who've already had chickenpox or even a previous shingles episode — prior infection doesn't provide complete future protection.
The HPV vaccine protects against infections linked to cervical, vulvar, and vaginal cancer in women, penile cancer in men, and anal cancer, genital warts, and throat cancer in both. It's most commonly recommended at age 11-12, before likely exposure through future sexual activity, though it can be given up to age 26 and sometimes later depending on a doctor's specific recommendation for an individual's risk profile.
Pneumococcal vaccination protects against Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria, which can cause pneumonia, meningitis, and bloodstream infections — potentially fatal, particularly in older adults. There are different versions covering different numbers of bacterial strains — a conjugate vaccine covering 13 or 20 strains (PCV13/PCV20), and a polysaccharide vaccine covering 23 strains (PPSV23) — your doctor determines which sequence is appropriate based on your age and health history. This vaccine is recommended once an adult turns 50, and specifically for anyone with chronic illness, sickle cell disease, a cochlear implant, a transplanted organ, or immunosuppression regardless of age.
Both viruses infect the liver, though they spread differently — Hepatitis A through contaminated food and water, Hepatitis B through blood and bodily fluids. Anyone can reasonably choose to be vaccinated against both for general protection, though they're specifically recommended for frequent international travellers, healthcare workers, people with chronic liver disease, and those with certain other risk factors their doctor can identify.
The flu vaccine is unique among adult vaccines in needing annual renewal, since circulating influenza strains shift from year to year and the vaccine formula is updated to match. It's recommended for essentially everyone over 6 months of age, with particular importance for older adults, those with chronic conditions, and pregnant women. The main contraindications are a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction to a previous flu vaccine, severe egg allergy (depending on vaccine formulation), or a history of Guillain-Barré syndrome following a previous flu vaccine.
When childhood or past adult vaccination records are unclear or lost, a doctor can advise on a reasonable approach — sometimes this means a blood test to check existing immunity for certain vaccines, and sometimes it means restarting a series to be safe rather than risk incomplete protection. A nurse arranging a referral can review whatever records you do have, but a doctor's involvement is usually needed when records are genuinely unclear or when contraindications need careful evaluation.
Whether it's a routine Tetanus booster you've lost track of, or a more specific vaccine your doctor recently recommended based on your age or health, the hardest part is often just finding a nurse who can actually come to you. A referral from a nearby patient who's already been through the same process removes most of that uncertainty. Share your pincode, see who's already found their nurse, and take it from there.
Yes — nurses follow the same safety standards for vaccine handling and administration, while also reducing your exposure to other illnesses in a crowded clinic waiting room.
No — home vaccination accommodates infants, children, adults, and seniors, with nurses tailoring their approach to age-specific guidelines.
Yes — nurses can safely administer multiple appropriate vaccines in a single visit, reducing the number of separate appointments needed.
These are different pneumococcal vaccine versions covering different numbers of bacterial strains — your doctor determines the right sequence based on your age and health history.
Both are live vaccines containing a weakened form of the actual virus, which poses risk during pregnancy — inactivated vaccines like Tdap and flu are generally the ones recommended instead.
A doctor can advise on a reasonable approach — sometimes a blood test to check existing immunity, sometimes restarting a series to be safe.
For most adult vaccines, yes — a prescription confirms the right vaccine and dose for your specific situation and rules out contraindications.
You do. We only make the introduction — whether you go with the referral or choose someone else is entirely up to you.
Whatever home care you need — physiotherapy, a nurse, elder care, a doctor visit — a patient in your own pincode has probably already found it. Tell us what you're looking for, and we'll connect you directly with them.
