Immunisation for adults
In this context, immunisation refers to becoming immune or resistant to a disease through vaccination.
Vaccines reduce the risk of getting seriously unwell from a disease by working with your body to build its own natural defences.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says:
The 2 public health interventions that have had the greatest impact on the world’s health are clean water and vaccines.
WHO data shows that vaccinations prevent 3.5 to 5 million deaths every year from diseases like:
- diphtheria
- tetanus
- pertussis
- influenza
- measles
Vaccines for adults include the:
- flu vaccine
- pneumococcal vaccine
- shingles vaccine.
However, adults can catch up on any part of the whole routine immunisation programme they have missed. For example, adults can catch up with any missed MMR doses.
The outcome aim of the tool is to increase the number of adults with completed vaccination schedule appropriate for their age following intervention.
Download adult immunisation checklist
Download adult immunisation checklist guidance
Watch the Adult Immunisation Toolkit webinar for more information:
You can switch on subtitles once you have started to play the video. A menu will appear on the video screen.
Page last updated: 27 March 2024
