I’m 30 years old and almost entirely unvaccinated.
I’ve always had poor health, I had lymphoma at age 27, type 1 Diabetes since age 13, all of which suggests poor immune system performance. And anecdotally, when I get sick with common cold etc, I seem to stay sick longer than other people. So I don’t expect my body to be good at fighting off really dangerous disease.
Which vaccines should I get? Most resources either target or assume vaccination of children on a regular schedule.
Yes, and make sure they take into account both what you are likely to contract and how much a weakened immune system affects how you will benefit from said vaccinations. Lymphoma in particular suggests that there’s been a more or less reset of the immune system over the course of treatment… I have no idea if that makes a difference in effectiveness.
I might specifically try to get advice on this from a doctor who was involved in the treatment of your lymphoma, because lymphoma is a cancer of the immune system, so you want advice from someone deeply familiar with the details of your case.
Note that if you have a concurrent immunocompromising condition (e.g., lymphoma), then live vaccines should generally be avoided. This includes the varicella, MMR, and zoster vaccines. Again, your healthcare provider can tell you more.
I’m 30 years old and almost entirely unvaccinated.
I’ve always had poor health, I had lymphoma at age 27, type 1 Diabetes since age 13, all of which suggests poor immune system performance. And anecdotally, when I get sick with common cold etc, I seem to stay sick longer than other people. So I don’t expect my body to be good at fighting off really dangerous disease.
Which vaccines should I get? Most resources either target or assume vaccination of children on a regular schedule.
This seems like the sort of question to which the answer has to be “find a competent medical professional and ask them”.
Yes, and make sure they take into account both what you are likely to contract and how much a weakened immune system affects how you will benefit from said vaccinations. Lymphoma in particular suggests that there’s been a more or less reset of the immune system over the course of treatment… I have no idea if that makes a difference in effectiveness.
I might specifically try to get advice on this from a doctor who was involved in the treatment of your lymphoma, because lymphoma is a cancer of the immune system, so you want advice from someone deeply familiar with the details of your case.
I second gjm’s suggestion to talk to a healthcare professional.
Every year, the CDC updates and publishes their recommended immunization schedule for adults (patient version), which doesn’t assume childhood vaccination. Below, I’ve summarized the parts that are most relevant to you.
Vaccines recommended for adults aged 30 years:
Influenza (annually)
Tdap (with Td booster every 10 years)
Varicella (2 doses)
MMR
Additional vaccines recommended for adults aged 30 years with diabetes:
Zoster
PPSV23
Hepatitis B (3 doses)
Note that if you have a concurrent immunocompromising condition (e.g., lymphoma), then live vaccines should generally be avoided. This includes the varicella, MMR, and zoster vaccines. Again, your healthcare provider can tell you more.
Thanks!