We understand you may have questions about the vaccinations you may be eligible for as an adult.
Find answers to some of the most commonly asked questions below.
Routine vaccinations for adults include the Shingles and Pneumococcal vaccine.
Like with any medicine, there can be some mild side effects, but these won’t last long, and many won’t experience any side effects at all.
Common mild side effects may include:
It’s important to keep in mind that the risk of seriously unwell from these dangerous diseases is far greater than the risk of minor side effects.
More serious side effects such as a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) are very rare and usually happen within minutes.
The person who vaccinates you will be trained to deal with allergic reactions and treat them immediately in the unlikely event that you have an allergic reaction.
Most people who are eligible for the shingles vaccine can have it.
You only cannot have the vaccine if you've had a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to a previous dose of the vaccine, or an ingredient in the vaccine.
One of the shingles vaccines (called Zostavax) contains a weakened version of the virus that causes shingles. This vaccine is not suitable if you have a severely weakened immune system so you'll be given a different one (called Shingrix) instead.
There are 2 types of pneumococcal vaccine given in the UK. You can check the ingredients in the patient leaflets:
There are 2 types of shingles vaccine given in the UK. You can check the ingredients in the patient leaflets:
Vaccination gives the best protection against pneumococcal infections like meningitis and sepsis but there's still a chance you might get a pneumococcal infection.
You usually have some protection by about 3 weeks from when you had the vaccine.
Most adults only need 1 dose of the vaccine for long-term protection.
Seasonal vaccinations for adults include the Covid-19 and flu vaccine.
Like with any medicine, there can be some mild side effects, but these won’t last long, and many won’t experience any side effects at all.
Common mild side effects may include:
It’s important to keep in mind that the risk of seriously unwell from these dangerous diseases is far greater than the risk of minor side effects.
Most people who are eligible for the flu vaccine can have it.
You only cannot have the vaccine if you've had a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to a previous dose of the vaccine or an ingredient in the vaccine.
Some of the flu vaccines used in the UK contain egg protein. Tell the person vaccinating you if you have an egg allergy.
If you have a high temperature, wait until you're feeling better before having your flu vaccine.
There are several types of flu vaccine given in the UK. If you're eligible for the flu vaccine on the NHS, you'll be offered one of the types that's most appropriate for you.
Adult flu vaccines do not contain any pork products. You can check the ingredients in the patient leaflets below.
Vaccines for people aged 65 and over:
Vaccines for people aged 18-64:
The flu vaccine aims to protect you against the most common types of flu viruses.
There's still a chance you might get flu after getting vaccinated, but it's likely to be milder and not last as long.
The vaccine usually takes up to 14 days to work.
Protection from the flu vaccine goes down with time and the flu strains the vaccine protects against are updated each year. This is why it's important to get the flu vaccine every year.
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