Vaccinations are not just for children, they are as important for adults too. There are different vaccines that are recommended for adults, depending on our age, life stage (e.g. an expectant mother), susceptibility, and medical conditions.
We are aware by now that COVID-19 vaccines play an important role in preventing severe illness and death. You may, however, not be as familiar with some of the other vaccines recommended for adults. The National Adult Immunisation Schedule (NAIS) provides vaccination recommendations to help you make an informed decision on the vaccines you need, including COVID-19 vaccination.
Read on for four reasons why you should get vaccinated, as well as the common vaccines recommended in the NAIS. The NAIS includes the age guideline for when you need to get the different vaccines.
Four Reasons to Get Vaccinated
1. Protect yourself
As responsible adults, we take care of our health by eating right and exercising often. It is just as important for us to get the recommended vaccines that protect us from different diseases and conditions.
Vaccinations for adults offer protection against common infectious diseases including influenza (flu), pneumococcal disease which can cause pneumonia (a serious bacterial infection of the lungs), COVID-19, and human papillomavirus (HPV) which can lead to cervical cancer.
While most healthy adults tend to recover from the flu, the same illness can be life-threatening to the elderly, those who have co-morbidities (concurrent medical conditions) or are immunocompromised (people with weakened immune systems). The influenza and pneumococcal vaccines in particular are especially beneficial to people aged 65 and above, or any adult with a weakened immune system or certain medical conditions. For protection against pneumococcal disease, you only require 1 dose of 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV20), or 1 dose of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) and/or 1 or more doses of pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23), depending on your age or medical condition(s). For protection against the flu, you are recommended to get the flu vaccine every year or per flu season based on the national recommendation.
All adult females are recommended to receive HPV vaccinations by the age of 26 years old to be effectively protected against infection, and for prevention of cervical cancer. COVID-19 vaccinations are recommended for individuals aged 60 years and above, medically vulnerable individuals aged 6 months and above, as well as residents of aged care facilities.
2. Protect your family and friends
Vaccines are not only for your protection. By reducing your chance of becoming infected, they also protect the people closest to you, especially those who are at higher risk of developing complications from certain diseases (e.g. flu, pneumonia or COVID-19), such as young children and the elderly.
For example, pertussis, or whooping cough, can be deadly in babies. But they are not eligible for vaccines which help build immunity until they are two months old. Getting vaccinated against pertussis during pregnancy will help protect the baby by passing the mother's antibodies to the baby before birth.
Older adults are also more likely to develop complications should they catch an infectious disease — one reason is that their immune system doesn't work as well as it used to. Seniors aged 65 and older are more likely to develop pneumonia as a result of a flu virus or a pneumococcal bacterial infection. Pneumonia caused by both flu and pneumococcal can cause a serious lung infection that can be life-threatening or take weeks to recover.
If you have a loved one who is 65 or older, share the importance of getting vaccinated against flu and pneumococcal disease with them.
If you live with seniors over the age of 65, receiving your flu vaccination at least once a year will provide protection for them too because it decreases your chance of becoming infected.
3. Vaccines are subsidised and Medisave claimable
Subsidies are available for vaccinations recommended under the NAIS. For example, individuals who are eligible for the flu and pneumococcal vaccinations subsidies are those aged 65 years old and above, or adults with specific medical conditions. To help pay for the remaining co-payment of adult vaccines recommended under NAIS, MediSave are available for use. Click here for more information on subsidies available, other vaccine-preventable diseases and frequently asked questions.
If you need the vaccines but need financial help you can also approach medical social workers at polyclinics and public healthcare institutions.
4. It’s convenient
As adults, we are all busy with our work, family and personal commitments. It is understandable that taking preventive measures for our health might not be a priority. Fortunately, getting vaccinated is easy in Singapore!
Individuals enrolled under Healthier SG are encouraged to discuss with your Healthier SG provider whether you are suitable for these vaccinations and receive your vaccination with your enrolled clinic. If you are not enrolled and are eligible for enrolment (40 years and above), please visit your preferred Healthier SG clinic to enrol and receive vaccinations at your Healthier SG clinic. If you are not eligible to enrol under Healthier SG, you may book a vaccination appointment at any participating CHAS GP clinic by clicking here. Should you prefer to get vaccinated during your next visit to a polyclinic, please inform the polyclinic staff during that visit.
Vaccines to Protect You Against Vaccine-Preventable Diseases
Based on the recommendations of the Expert Committee on Immunisation, the NAIS recommends vaccinations for various adult groups to protect against various vaccine-preventable diseases.
The vaccinations are:
- Influenza
- Pneumococcal (PCV20/PCV13/PPSV23)
- Shingles (recombinant herpes zoster vaccine)
- Human papillomavirus (HPV2)
- Tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (Tdap)
- Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR)
- Hepatitis B
- Varicella (chicken pox)
- COVID-19
Other vaccinations that you may consider getting are:
- Meningococcal Vaccine
- Hepatitis A
- Yellow Fever Vaccine
- Rabies Vaccine
- Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine
- Typhoid Vaccine
Who Should Not Get Vaccinated
You should not get vaccinated if you have had a severe allergic reaction after a previous vaccination or have allergies to specific vaccine components. Talk to your doctor about your specific medical history to understand the best option for protecting yourself.
Vaccinate, Don’t Procrastinate!
All adults are encouraged to take the recommended vaccinations recommended for their age group in the NAIS. Getting vaccinated against preventable diseases is one of the best decisions you can make to protect your health.
Prevent what's preventable! Talk to your doctor if you have concerns. All GPs are able to advise you on your suitability for any of the recommended vaccines. Don't forget to share this information with your family members too!
To learn more about travel vaccinations, click here.
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Contributed By
- Communicable Diseases Agency