Immunizations—from infancy through adulthood—are essential to your health, disease prevention, and public safety. All current scientific evidence demonstrates that receiving a vaccination is safer than contracting a disease and treating it.
Vaccines train your body to protect itself.
An immunization teaches your body to defend itself against a specific disease without actually causing the illness and its consequences.
Every vaccine contains a bit of the organism that causes the disease. It might be a protein, sugar, or weakened version of the bacteria or virus. When introduced to the body, the immune system detects these as harmful and dangerous foreign substances, called antigens, and quickly begins to produce antibodies. Antibodies are special Y-shaped proteins that learn to remember, detect, and destroy the antigens.
But wait—there’s more!
Besides proactively avoiding infection, adult immunizations have several benefits:
- Avoiding complications from a disease. Examples: vision loss or persistent pain from shingles; pneumonia from measles or flu.
- Protecting from worsening chronic health conditions, like diabetes or heart disease, if COVID-19, flu, or RSV develops.
- Eliminating or reducing expenses related to vaccine-preventable diseases, including hospitalization, medical appointments, prescriptions, treatments, and lost wages.
- Guarding vulnerable members of the community who have compromised immune systems. Infants, the elderly, cancer patients, and people who are too sick to be immunized rely on protection from those who are vaccinated.
- Saving lives around the world, resulting in unequaled health equity. Over the last 50 years, the measles vaccine alone has saved almost 94 million lives.
Myths about immunizations
Although rigorous scientific method is always used to research and develop every vaccine, and continue to study its effectiveness, misconceptions continue to surface. You may have encountered one or more of these myths:
Myth: MMR vaccine causes autism.
Fact: In 1998, a small English study of 12 children (8 with autism) presented false data concluding that receiving the MMR vaccine led to what is now called Autism Spectrum Disorder. The paper was subsequently retracted and later research with large groups showed no connection between MMR immunization and diagnosis of autism.
Myth: Vaccines contain harmful ingredients.
Fact: Any additives to vaccines are at a lower dose than found in the natural environment. One example is aluminum, the third most abundant element in the environment. It’s found in water, air, soil, plants, and throughout the food chain. In vaccines, it boosts the immune system’s response to antigens. A second example is thimerosal, a compound that contains a form of mercury, used to preserve vials of influenza vaccine. Although there is no evidence that it causes harm, as of 2025 no U.S. vaccines contain thimerosal or mercury.
Myth: A COVID-19 immunization can change my DNA.
Fact: FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines use mRNA (“messenger” RNA) as a template to produce virus proteins that cause the immune system to create antibodies to fight the virus. mRNA simply carries instructions for making antibodies from the cell’s nucleus to the place in the cell where the proteins are made; the DNA is never compromised or altered.
Immunization schedule for adults
Vaccinations don’t end with childhood. It’s important for your health and quality of life to maintain your protection with regular immunizations. As we get older, we can become more susceptible to diseases such as pneumonia, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), and shingles. Grandparents and adults who are around infants should be current with their whooping cough (pertussis) immunizations to protect babies from this highly contagious disease before they begin the TDaP series at 2 months.
Recommended vaccinations for all adults 19 years and older:
- COVID-19: 1 or more doses of 2024-2025 vaccine, depending on age
- Influenza: 1 dose annually
- RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus): 1 dose
-If pregnant during RSV season
-Ages 50 to 75+
- Tdap/Td (Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis)/(Tetanus, pertussis):
-Tdap every pregnancy
-Tdap/Td booster every 10 years
- MMR (Measles, mumps, rubella):
-Born after 1957, without proof of immunity: 1 dose
- Chickenpox (Varicella):
-Not given during pregnancy, postpartum, or nursing.
-90% of adults are immune due to having the disease as children.
-Varicella vaccination became routine in 1995.
- Herpes zoster (Shingles): 2 doses
-Ages 50+
A word about vaccinations in the current political administration
Following the 2024 election, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was appointed as Secretary of Health and Human Services. Despite existing medical advice from health officials and biosecurity experts, Kennedy, an anti-vaccine activist without medical training, has restricted recommendations for COVID-19 immunizations; defunded technology necessary for developing mRNA vaccines for future pandemics; redirected funds toward “alternative” vaccines; and replaced all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) with individuals who reflect his personal skepticism about vaccine safety and efficacy.
Public health authorities have expressed concern about the changes, citing potential for reduced immunization rates, outbreaks of preventable diseases, and lack of public trust in long-established scientific processes.
Sources:
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