What immunizations should I offer to my patients? A primer on adult immunizations.

Despite the cost-effectiveness and widespread availability of vaccines, vaccine-preventable diseases remain an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. We present the indications, contraindications and administration of adult vaccinations, as well as the strategies for improving the rate of outpatient adult vaccination as an effective means of disease prevention. Although immunizations have altered the course of many infectious diseases worldwide, there is a significant chasm in what we know is best for our patients versus what reaches our patients. A greater emphasis is needed for vaccination of adults, especially in primary care and public health settings as well as in special populations such as the pregnant, elderly or immunosuppressed.