Keeping up to date with your immunizations as an adult is the best way to protect yourself from certain diseases and helps you stay healthy throughout your life. When you get immunized, you help protect others.
Read the sections below to learn about what vaccines are recommended for adults in British Columbia.
On this page, "health care provider" refers to a doctor, nurse practitioner, public health nurse, community health nurse, primary care nurse, or pharmacist.
The following vaccines are recommended for all adults at certain times of their lives. Some of these vaccines are free, and others you may need to purchase. Click to expand each tab to learn more.
The HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine is recommended and free for anyone 9 to 26 years of age and certain groups 27 to 45 years of age.
It's recommended adults get a flu vaccine every year. This vaccine is free for all adults.
It's recommended adults get a booster dose of the pertussis vaccine (given as the Tdap vaccine) once in adulthood. Most adults will have to buy this vaccine. However, it is free for:
The pneumococcal conjugate vaccine is recommended for those age 65 and older. This vaccine is free.
The respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine (mResvia®) is recommended for:
This vaccine is currently free as part of B.C.’s time-limited older adult RSV immunization program.
An RSV vaccine is recommended, but not provided free, for people at high risk of severe disease, including:
The shingles vaccine, Shingrix®, is recommended for those age 50 and older. You need to purchase this vaccine; some health plans cover the cost of this vaccine.
A booster dose of the Td (tetanus and diphtheria) vaccine is recommended every 10 years. This vaccine is free.
For COVID-19 vaccine recommendations, see our COVID-19 vaccines page. COVID-19 vaccines are free and available for all adults.
Every year:
Every 10 years:
At least once in adulthood:
You should also make sure you are up to date on these vaccines:
Talk to a health care provider to find out if you have all the vaccines you need.
For more information on COVID-19 vaccines, visit HealthLinkBC Health File #124a COVID-19 mRNA vaccines.
Every year:
Every 10 years:
At least once in adulthood:
Once you turn 50:
At 60 years and older:
You should also make sure you are up to date on these vaccines:
Talk to a health care provider to find out if you have all the vaccines you need.
For more information on COVID-19 vaccines, visit HealthLinkBC Health File #124a COVID-19 mRNA vaccines.
Every year:
Every 10 years:
At least once in adulthood:
Once you turn 50:
At 60 years and older:
At 65 years or older:
At 75 years and older:
You should also make sure you are up to date on these vaccines:
For more information on COVID-19 vaccines, visit HealthLinkBC Health File #124a COVID-19 mRNA vaccines.
Talk to a health care provider to find out if you have all the vaccines you need.
The following vaccines are recommended for pregnant people:
The respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine, ABRYSVO™, was recently approved for pregnant people to protect the baby after birth. The vaccine is not free and can be purchased at select pharmacies. Some health insurance plans may cover the cost of the vaccine. For the 2026/27 RSV season, the cost of the vaccine is covered for eligible pregnant people with First Nations Health Benefits. Talk to your health care provider for more information.
Other vaccines may be recommended in certain situations, such as when travelling or if you are at high risk for certain diseases. Some of these vaccines are free, and others you may need to buy.
Check with your health care provider to ensure you have received all recommended vaccines.
Specific vaccines may be recommended for you based on your job, especially if you work (or are training to work) in health care, the military, a laboratory, in childcare, with animals, or if you handle food.
Health care workers are at risk of exposure to communicable diseases while at work because of their contact with patients or infectious material from patients.
Health care workers should make sure they are up to date on all routine vaccines. They should also get the following vaccines if they are not already up to date:
Check with a health care provider to ensure you have received all the recommended vaccines. Most of these vaccines are free, and your employer may cover those that aren't.
*A health care worker includes people who provide health care to patients or work in institutions that provide patient care.
Employees in various workplaces may be exposed to vaccine-preventable diseases. It’s important that all workers are up to date on their routine vaccines, including their yearly influenza vaccine.
If your job puts you at risk of getting or spreading diseases, you might need extra vaccines. This is especially important for people who work in the military, in the laboratory, with animals, or who handle food.
Talk to a health care provider and/or your employer to see what vaccines are recommended for you and if they are free. Vaccines that aren’t free may be covered by your employer.
Before you travel to other countries, plan ahead to get all the vaccines you need. Talk to your health care provider or visit a travel health clinic preferably 6 weeks before you travel. This is important because some vaccines may take several weeks to become fully effective, and others may require more than 1 dose. You will need to buy most vaccines for travel.
The vaccines you need are based on:
Here are some examples of vaccines that may be recommended or, in some cases, required for travel to certain countries:
For more information on travel vaccines see: Travel immunizations for adults.
If you've just moved to Canada, it's important to make sure you have received all the vaccines recommended for adults in BC. These vaccines might be different from those recommended in your home country.
Take your immunization record to your local health unit, community health centre, primary care clinic, or nursing station to be checked to see if you are up to date on routine vaccines. If you don’t have a vaccine record, it's still important to speak with a health care provider about what vaccines are recommended. If you are missing any recommended vaccines, you can receive these from a pharmacy or your local health unit, community health centre, primary care clinic, or nursing station. Some doctors and nurse practitioners also give vaccines.
People living in care facilities should make sure their routine immunizations are up to date. In addition, people who live in these facilities should receive the following vaccines:
Talk to a health care provider to find out if you have all the vaccines you need.
Vaccines are especially important for people with conditions that weaken the immune system or who take medications that suppress their immune system. Having a weakened immune system means it is more difficult to fight off infections or diseases in the body. In addition to vaccines recommended for all adults, other vaccines may be recommended and free for you depending on your condition, including:
Many of these vaccines are available at no cost. Check with a health care provider to ensure you have received all recommended vaccines.
People with conditions such as diabetes, heart, or lung disease are at higher risk for serious problems or complications from certain vaccine-preventable diseases. In addition to vaccines recommended for all adults, these other vaccines may be recommended and free for you depending on your health condition:
Many of these vaccines are available at no cost. Check with a health care provider to ensure you have received all recommended vaccines.
In addition to routine vaccines, the following vaccines are also recommended:
Check with a health care provider to ensure you have received all recommended vaccines.
In addition to routine vaccines, the following vaccines are also recommended:
In addition to routine vaccines, the following vaccines are recommended for people with multiple sex partners:
Check with a health care provider to ensure you have received all recommended vaccines.
In addition to routine vaccines, the following vaccines are recommended and free for people with substance use disorders (e.g., alcohol, cocaine and injection drug use):
Check with a health care provider to ensure you have received all recommended vaccines.
In addition to routine vaccines, the following vaccine is recommended and free for people experiencing homelessness or who are underhoused:
Check with a health care provider to ensure you have received all recommended vaccines.
Talk to a health care provider about additional vaccines you can buy for extra protection, including:
You can buy these vaccines at pharmacies and travel clinics. Depending on your age or other factors, some might be free. Some health insurance plans may cover the cost of these vaccines; check with your insurance provider.
Ask a health care provider if extra protection is important for you and your family.
Adults can get free vaccines (paid for by the BC government) from:
Services vary across BC. Call to ask about vaccine availability.
Vaccines that are not free can be purchased at:
Many vaccines are provided at no cost to the public by the Government of British Columbia. The cost of vaccines you need to buy ranges from about $60 to $300 per dose (multiple doses may be required in a vaccine series). There may be extra fees for consultation, dispensing and injecting. Vaccine costs vary throughout the province for the various types of vaccines, depending on where you get them. Some health insurance plans cover the costs of vaccines; check with your insurance provider.
An insurance company will have various plans, and your coverage will depend on the policy provided by an employer or other provider or that you may have paid for yourself. Here is some information to get you started:
In British Columbia, the Ministry of Health makes decisions to fund vaccine programs based on recommendations from a provincial scientific committee that reviews:
Recommendations for new vaccine programs are prioritized with other public health initiatives. As a result, not all vaccines approved for use in Canada are funded by the provincial government. People may choose to buy vaccines for extra protection.
Call toll-free in B.C., 8-1-1, or 7-1-1 for the deaf and hard of hearing to get personalized assistance. Speak to a navigator who can guide you to reliable health information or connect you with a health professional. Translation services are available in over 130 languages.
