Can you provide information on which vaccines are recommended for older adults this fall?

The recommendations for fall vaccinations for older adults from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) remain similar to last year’s recommendations. You should always check with your healthcare professional to determine what is correct for your personal circumstances and medical history. However, there are a few updates to be aware of. Here is what you should know.

Flu Shots

The CDC recommends a seasonal flu shot for everyone six months of age and older. For older adults, it is especially important as they are at greater risk of developing dangerous flu complications compared to younger adults.

While you only need one, individuals 65 and older have three different FDA-approved flu vaccines that are recommended over traditional flu shots. These are the Fluzone High-Dose inactivated flu vaccine, the Flublok recombinant (egg free) flu vaccine and the Fluad adjuvanted inactivated flu vaccine.

The flu vaccines for seniors are formulated to create a more robust immune response, helping the body produce more antibodies, which is more effective in preventing the flu. All flu vaccines are covered by Medicare Part B as long as your doctor, health clinic or pharmacy agrees not to charge more than what Medicare pays.

RSV Shots

In addition to the flu shot, the CDC recommends a single-dose of RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) vaccine for all adults age 75 and older, as well as for high-risk adults between ages 50 and 74. For those 65 and older, RSV causes between 6,000 to 10,000 deaths and up to 120,000 hospitalizations across the U.S. each year. High-risk adults include those who have chronic heart or lung disease, weakened immune systems, diabetes with complications, severe obesity or those residing in long-term care facilities.

The three RSV vaccines approved and available in the U.S. – Arexvy, Abrysvo and mResvia – are all covered under Medicare Part D prescription drug plans. The RSV vaccine is given as a single dose, with no annual or booster scheduled at this time.

COVID Booster

If you have not recently had a COVID booster shot, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccine, which has been updated to target the dominant strain.

Previously, this vaccine was recommended for all individuals six months and older. However, the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recently announced that they are no longer recommending universal COVID shots. Instead, they recommend that adults age 65 and those who are immunocompromised to discuss vaccination with a healthcare professional. The COVID virus causes around 400,000 hospitalizations and approximately 47,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. COVID vaccines are covered under Medicare Part B.

Pneumonia Vaccines

If you have not been vaccinated for pneumonia, you should consider getting the pneumococcal vaccine this fall. This vaccine is now recommended by the CDC to adults age 50 and older.

Pneumonia causes 1.2 million people to visit emergency departments in the U.S. each year and over 40,000 deaths. If you have never been vaccinated for pneumonia, the PCV15, PCV20 or PCV21 vaccines are the top choices. Medicare Part B covers pneumococcal vaccines, and you only need to get it once.

Side-Effects and Safety

Any vaccine can cause mild side effects like pain or tenderness at the injection site, muscle aches, headache, fever or fatigue. Also note that it is safe to receive these vaccines at the same time. It may be best, however, to spread out vaccines because multiple vaccinations on the same day may cause increased side effects. As always, talk with your healthcare professional to determine a personalized course of action.

Savvy Living is written by Jim Miller, a regular contributor to the NBC Today Show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. Any links in this article are offered as a service and there is no endorsement of any product. These articles are offered as a helpful and informative service to our friends and may not always reflect this organization’s official position on some topics. Jim invites you to send your senior questions to: Savvy Living, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070.