Getting vaccinated is one of the safest and surest ways to protect one’s health, since most vaccine-preventable diseases are known to spread from individual to individual. This means one infected person can spread the germ to an entire community. When a critical mass of the adult population is vaccinated, chances of a vaccine-preventable disease spreading are less, leading to a healthier community.

How do vaccines work?

Vaccines work by mimicking infections. It coaxes your immune system to produce the same antibodies it would make were you actually exposed to the real disease. This prompts your body to identify and combat an infection triggered by that bacteria or virus. Thus, an immunity develops against that disease before you actually getting it.

What factors guide vaccination routine in adults?

Age
Person’s health history
Lifestyle
Sexual activity
Places travelled
Occupation
Vaccination history

There are vaccines for some infectious respiratory diseases like COVID-19, flu, pneumonia, whooping cough (a combination vaccine that protects against tetanus and diphtheria too) and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), but there’s no vaccine for common cold.

Vaccines an adult might need include:

COVID-19: This vaccine can protect you against COVID-19, the devastating coronavirus disease that shook the world, or from becoming seriously ill or succumbing to the infection.
Flu: To prevent flu or influenza, all adults are advised to take the annual flu vaccination. The flu can lead to serious health issues in older adults.
Hepatitis B: All adults between 19 and 59 years of age are recommended the hepatitis B vaccine. The vaccine is also advised for those above 60 with risk factors for hepatitis B, a disease that affects the liver.
HPV: The human papillomavirus vaccine is usually recommended for children aged 11 or 12. However, if a child fails to receive the HPV vaccine during that period, it can be taken later as a teen or a young adult. Usually, the HPV vaccine is advised through age 26. Sometimes, the vaccine can be useful for adults from 27 to 45 years of age as well. Your doctor will know best. HPV is a common virus that can cause cancer.
Pneumococcal: Infections like pneumonia, meningitis and bloodstream infections are caused by pneumococcal disease. All individuals aged 65 and above are recommended pneumococcal vaccines, while younger adults at heightened risk might also need the vaccine.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV): The RSV vaccine is advised for adults 60 or older, the age group vulnerable to serious health issues like pneumonia, if they get infected by RSV. Pregnant women are also sometimes recommended the RSV vaccine. Ask your doctor about the vaccine if you are pregnant.
Shingles: Shingles can be a very painful, if not life-threatening disease. The shingles vaccine, given in two doses, is recommended for healthy adults aged 50 and above.
Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (Tdap): The Tdap vaccine in a single dose is normally advised for children aged 11 or 12. Those who miss it, should get one at the earliest. A Tdap dose is also recommended during pregnancy, usually between weeks 27 and 36.