But vaccination can help you take more control of your health.

Influenza (flu) is a contagious respiratory disease that can cause serious illness, even in otherwise healthy people, especially during fall and winter when people spend more time indoors and respiratory viruses spread more easily. Anyone can get the flu and spread it to others. That is why staying up to date on flu vaccination is an important step to help protect against severe illness.

Pediatric nurse practitioner discusses the dangers of vaccine-preventable diseases, the importance of talking to your healthcare provider, and how getting vaccinated can help you stay protected.

A healthcare visit is a good time to check which vaccines are recommended for you. Use this guide to prepare, ask questions, and make a plan for what comes next.

Adults ages 50 and older are at increased risk for severe RSV illness due to natural changes in immune response that occur with aging. Vaccination can help protect older adults against severe illness from RSV.

Research shows that recommended vaccines can help protect mothers, babies, or both, depending on the vaccine. The RSV vaccine is given during pregnancy to help protect babies from serious RSV illness in their first months of life.

Learn more about shared clinical decision making (SCDM) and explore the challenges and implications of this recommendation and how it can impact providers, patients, vaccine management, and reimbursement.

Pediatric intensivist Dr. Margaret Scheffler explains how vaccines are the best tool we have to protect against severe illness.

Infectious diseases can cause severe and sometimes life-threatening illness. Staying up to date with recommended vaccines is one of the best ways to help protect yourself.

Content on this page is being updated to reflect the FDA’s August 27 approval of the 2026–2027 COVID-19 vaccine formula. Please check back soon.

COVID-19 continues to pose a serious health threat, especially for older adults who are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19 and be hospitalized. The good news is adults 65 years of age and older can reduce their risk of severe illness by receiving recommended vaccinations, including another dose of the 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccine six months after their first dose.