As school-age children head back to the classroom and fall approaches, patients of all ages may ask providers about the value of recommended routine and seasonal vaccinations. This allows them to weigh the pros and cons based on their personal preferences, risk factors, health history, and overall wellness.

While vaccines for children and adults are primarily encouraged to prevent infectious diseases, they can also help mitigate risk of complications from chronic conditions, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes.

Vaccines can not only help boost immunity but also protect vulnerable patients — pregnant women, patients over 50, and those with a compromised health status — against disease progression and severe complications, according to industry studies.

• The shingles vaccine can decrease the risk of dementia. One study found that patients in nursing facilities who received at least one dose of the vaccine within a year of admission had a 5.8 percent lower risk of developing dementia over the next four years.¹ The vaccine has also shown benefits in patients age 50 and older in reducing the risk of vascular dementia by 50 percent, the risk of developing blood clots by 27 percent, and heart attack and stroke risk by 25 percent.²
• The human papillomavirus vaccine is highly effective in preventing cervical cancer. A 2026 study showed a 27 percent drop in cervical cancer rates among women ages 20–31 between 2016 and 2021, compared to the early 2000s before the vaccine was available.³ Similarly, the hepatitis B vaccine can prevent liver cancer. It is estimated that the hepatitis B vaccine can save 14 million lives by 2030.⁴
• The flu vaccine can reduce the risk of flu-related flare-ups in chronic health conditions, such as congestive heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, by as much as 80 percent. Flu vaccination has also been associated with a 29 percent risk reduction for dementia. Additionally, flu vaccination can help protect women against the flu during and after pregnancy and infants during their first few months of life.⁵
• The pneumococcal vaccine is linked to a 22 percent reduction in all-cause mortality among adult patients with cardiovascular disease or very high cardiovascular risk.⁶
• A recent study showed a link between the 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccine and a reduction in heart-related events, including cardiovascular death, heart attack, and stroke, as well as hospitalization for heart failure. The COVID-19 vaccine was linked to a 38.5 percent lower risk of heart attack, most notably among patients who were 75 or older and had other chronic conditions. The study also showed a secondary effect of the vaccine: reducing all-cause cardiac events.⁷

Resources

Our Preventive Care Services (A004) administrative policy outlines our vaccine coverage and includes additional information about coverage for other preventive care services.

For information about current vaccination schedules recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), review the following:

• Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule by Age: This schedule provides the CDC’s recommendations for ages 18 or younger.
• Adult Immunization Schedule by Age: This schedule provides the CDC’s recommendations for ages 19 or older.

1. Kaleen Hayes, et al. “Dementia Risk After Recombinant Herpes Zoster Vaccination in Older Adults With a Recent Skilled-Nursing Facility Stay: A Target Trial Emulation.” Annals of Internal Medicine. 16 June 2026. Retrieved from https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-25-04689.

2. Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). “Shingles Vaccine Lowers Risk of Dementia, Major Cardiovascular Events.” IDSA. 19 October 2025. Retrieved from https://www.idsociety.org/news–publications-new/articles/2025/shingles-vaccine-lowers-risk-of-dementia-major-cardiovascular-events/.

3. American Cancer Society. “Declines in Cervical Cancer Incidence in U.S. Varied Substantially by State, Aligning With HPV Vaccination Rates, New ACS Study Finds.” American Cancer Society. 23 February 2026. Retrieved from https://pressroom.cancer.org/declines-in-cervical-cancer-hpv-vaccine.

4. CDC. “Fast Facts on Global Immunization.” CDC. 14 July 2025. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/global-immunization/fast-facts/index.html.

5. CDC. “Benefits of Flu Vaccination.” CDC. 28 May 2026. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/flu-vaccines-work/benefits/index.html.

6. Miwako Kobayashi, et al. “Pneumococcal Vaccine for Adults Aged ≥19 Years: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, United States, 2023.” CDC. 08 September 2023. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/rr/rr7203a1.htm.

7. Miao Cai, et al. “2024-2025 COVID-19 Vaccine and Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events Among US Veterans.” JAMA Internal Medicine. 15 June 2026. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42295793/.