General Vaccination Information for Seniors

Seniors can be a vulnerable population and vaccines need to be current. Consult with your medical professional to review your vaccination records. In making decisions about vaccines, it is important to gather information about the efficacy and potential side effects relative to your individual circumstances and especially so if there is more than one vaccine option available. Following are those recommended in the Canadian Immunization Guide.

Those who travel out of the country, whether to warmer climates or more exotic locations, need to determine recommended vaccinations for the destination and consider travel advisories.

Vaccine	Medication /Brand Name	Population Recommended	Frequency
Flu	Vaccines vary from year to year depending on the virus strain	Recommended for anyone over 6 months and essential for anyone over the age of 65	1 dose yearly
High Dose	Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent	65 and over	1 dose yearly
Pneumonia (Pneumococcal)	Conjugate (PCV13), followed by PPV23 8 weeks later	Anyone who is at high risk and all persons over 65	Once you have the first and second shot, you may not require any more, however, you should always check with your medical professional
Shingles	Shingrix Zostavax II	50 plus	2 shots every 5 years I dose
Tetanus	Tdap Vaccine for the initial shot then the Td booster is required	everyone	The Td booster should be administered every 10 years (if you have previously had the Tdap vaccine)
Diphtheria	Tdap Vaccine for the initial shot then the Td booster is required	everyone	The Td booster should be administered every 10 years (if you have previously had the Tdap vaccine)
Whooping Cough	Tdap Vaccine for the initial shot then the Td booster is required	everyone, especially those who will be around infants	The Td booster should be administered every 10 years (if you have previously had the Tdap vaccine)