Recommended Vaccines for People With Chronic Illness

Editor's Note: This article was written by Nour Sahib and originally appeared on our partner site, Type2Diabetes.com.

It is that time of year when people start thinking about vaccinations. Since people with chronic illnesses are more vulnerable to certain infections, vaccinations are highly recommended.

Important vaccines for people with conditions like type 2 diabetes

Your pharmacist, doctor, and patient educators are excellent sources of information for any vaccination-related questions. If you do not know your vaccine history and were born outside North America, your doctor may suggest that you get vaccinated anyway. For those with complete vaccine records, check that you have received the vaccines and any necessary booster shots that are described below.¹

Hepatitis B vaccine (Engerix-B, Recombivax HB, and Heplisav-B)

There are various reasons why the hepatitis B vaccine is recommended for people with type 2 diabetes and other chronic conditions. Because hepatitis B is bloodborne and transmitted through blood contact, there have been outbreaks of hepatitis B in nursing home settings among residents receiving blood glucose monitoring.^1,2

The current recommendation is that people under the age of 60 receive the series of the hepatitis B vaccine. The series is a total of 3 doses. Note that if you have not yet had your hepatitis A vaccine, you can get the combination vaccine (Twinrix), which protects you against hepatitis A and B viruses.^1-3

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine (Gardasil, Gardasil 9, and Cervarix)

The HPV vaccine is generally recommended for people under the age of 26. However, people older than 26 can still get the vaccine. Talk to your doctor about your specific risk factors.⁴

Influenza vaccine (various brands)

A dose of the flu vaccine is recommended every year for most people, especially for those with illnesses like type 2 diabetes. Flu shots are available yearly because people with diabetes are at a higher risk of flu complications, such as hospitalization and death. While the flu vaccine does not completely prevent complications, it reduces the risk of severe complications.⁵

Pneumococcal vaccines (PCVs, PPSV)

There are 2 types of pneumococcal vaccines: Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) and the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV). Both types of vaccines reduce the risk of pneumonia but target different strains. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends 1 dose of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV15, PCV20, or PCV21) for all adults 50 years or older. If PCV15 is used, a dose of PPSV23 should be given 1 year later. Only 1 dose of PPSV23 is needed.⁶

Tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough (Tdap, Adacel, and Boostrix)

Most people need a booster of the tetanus vaccine every 10 years. In addition, women need a dose during pregnancy.⁴

Herpes zoster, or shingles (Shingrix)

If you are 50 years or older, you should consider getting the shingles vaccine. This vaccine is a 2-part series. Shingles is a virus that can lead to severe complications in people with diabetes and other chronic illnesses. These complications may lead to long-lasting nerve pain or blindness.⁴

Vaccines can keep you healthy

It may be tempting to delay getting these vaccines. It is overwhelming to go through vaccine records to find what's missing. However, there are resources to help you. Public health facilities and pharmacies have experience with reviewing vaccination records and can make the process easier.

Did you get certain vaccines after your diagnosis? Share your experience in the comments below!