title: Adult vaccinations: protecting your patients from avoidable illness.
abstract: Influenza vaccine is recommended each year for any adult at high risk for lower respiratory tract complications and death. Also consider immunizing household members of high-risk patients. Those who are susceptible to influenza are also at risk for pneumococcal disease; consider revaccination more than 6 years after the first dose for those at the highest risk of declining antibody levels. Any adult patient whose tetanus immunization status is uncertain should be considered unvaccinated and receive a full three-dose primary series of Td. In the United States, hepatitis B is usually a disease of lifestyle or profession. Rabies vaccine is indicated for your older patients who hunt, trap, explore caves, or travel to endemic areas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Community Medicine, Arizona Health Sciences Center, Tuscon.
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Stein
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007115:Immunization Schedule; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006278:Medicare; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013742:Tetanus / Q000517:prevention & control; D014195:Travel; D014481:United States; D014611:Vaccination