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Vaccines for Adults

Some vaccines are routinely offered to everyone in the UK. If you're not sure whether you have had all your routine vaccinations, ask your GP or practice nurse to find out for you. It may be possible to "catch up" later in life.

Some vaccines are recommended for adults according to their age:

At 65 years of age and over:

At 70 years of age:

The NHS 111 Wales page contains more information about vaccine schedules: https://111.wales.nhs.uk/LiveWell/Vaccinations/

Information on the COVID-19 vaccines is available here:

www.phw.nhs.wales/covid-19-vaccination 

See also vaccines for risk groups of any age and travel vaccines.

Occupational vaccination

People who work in certain jobs should be vaccinated against diseases they may be exposed to at work. The list below provides some examples:

  • Health and social care workers with direct patient/client contact should have a flu vaccine every year, this is to protect them and those they care for. Find out more at www.beatflu.org
  • Other vaccines are also sometimes recommended to help protect health and social care staff and the vulnerable people they work with. These vaccines may include BCG (against tuberculosis), varicella (against chickenpox), MMR (against measles, mumps and rubella) and hepatitis B.
  • Some laboratory staff, people who handle animal species that are susceptible to TB, some prison staff, those working with homeless people and in facilities for refugees and asylum seekers may also be recommended to have BCG vaccination. Likewise, some laboratory staff, morticians, embalmers and prison workers with regular contact with prisoners may be recommended to have hepatitis B vaccine. 
  • People who work with sewage and are at repeated risk of being exposed to raw sewage may be recommended to have hepatitis A immunisation.
  • Welders are recommended to receive vaccination against pneumococcal disease.

Other occupational groups that may benefit from immunisation include police, and fire and rescue services. Talk to your work occupational health department for more information.
 

More information

The NHS Choices website (https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/ ) also contains useful information about various vaccinations and how to access them.

More comprehensive information for health professionals about immunisation and vaccination is available to NHS Wales users on the Public Health Wales Immunisation and Vaccination Intranet site.

The Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre produces interactive data dashboards on diseases and infections here: https://phw.nhs.wales/data/