For adults, the French vaccination schedule calls for a diphtheria-tetanus-polio booster at 25, 45, and 65 and then every ten years, whooping cough at 25, flu every year and pneumococcal vaccination from 65, shingles from 65, and HPV catch-up up to age 26. The prevention check-up is a chance to bring your vaccination record up to date.
What are the adult vaccine boosters?
Adult boosters against diphtheria, tetanus, and polio (DTP, written “dTP” in France) are set at specific ages by the vaccination schedule: 25, 45, 65, then every ten years — 75, 85, 95. The booster at 25 includes whooping cough (pertussis), with a combined vaccine known as tetravalent (dTcaP in France); the vaccines available for adolescents and adults are Repevax and Boostrixtetra, according to Vaccination Info Service.
Why fixed ages? Because protection against tetanus and diphtheria fades over time, and because a simple rule of thumb — “25-45-65, then every ten years” — is harder to forget. Tetanus has not disappeared: it occurs in adults who are not up to date, often after a minor gardening injury.
Which vaccines at which age: 25, 45, 65, and over?
The table below summarizes the vaccinations recommended at each key adult age, according to the vaccination schedule in effect in 2026, as presented by Vaccination Info Service (from Santé publique France, the French public health agency).
| Age | Vaccinations recommended for everyone | Specific situations |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | DTP + whooping cough booster (dTcaP); HPV catch-up possible up to and including age 26 (3 doses from age 15) | Whooping cough for pregnant women at each pregnancy from the 2nd trimester, for people around infants (“cocooning”), and for health and early childhood professionals; flu in case of chronic disease, pregnancy, or obesity; meningococcal, hepatitis B, travel vaccines depending on the situation |
| 45 | DTP booster | Annual flu vaccine in case of chronic disease or obesity (BMI of 40 or more); pneumococcal and shingles from age 18 in case of immunodeficiency or an at-risk condition |
| 65 | DTP booster; flu every year; pneumococcal in a single dose; shingles in two doses two months apart | COVID-19 according to seasonal recommendations |
| 75, 85, 95 | DTP booster every ten years; flu every year; pneumococcal and shingles if not done at 65 | Same |
At 45, the list is short, and it is the age when people most often forget their booster: the prevention check-up at ages 45–50 is a chance to check it. At 65, by contrast, four vaccinations fall within a short period; the prevention check-up at ages 60–65 lets you plan them before the fall.
Flu, pneumococcal, shingles: what does the schedule call for after 65?
After 65, the immune system responds less well to infections and their complications are more serious: that is why three vaccinations are added to the DTP booster.
Flu, every year
Flu vaccination is recommended every year for everyone aged 65 and over and, regardless of age, for pregnant women, people with a chronic disease (respiratory, heart, kidney, liver, neurological, diabetes, immunodeficiency), people with obesity with a BMI of 40 or more, people around at-risk infants, and health professionals. The campaign takes place in the fall; the vaccine is fully covered (100%) by French National Health Insurance (Assurance Maladie) for all these people. For people aged 65 and over, the 2026 schedule recommends preferably using the Efluelda (high-dose) or Fluad (adjuvanted) vaccines, with standard vaccines remaining an option.
Pneumococcal, a single dose
Since April 2025, vaccination against pneumococcal infections — pneumonia, meningitis, sepsis — has been extended to everyone aged 65 and over, with a single dose of 20-valent (Prevenar 20) or 21-valent (Capvaxive) conjugate vaccine. Whether a booster is needed has not been established to date. Before 65, it is recommended from age 18 for people at high risk of severe infection: immunodeficiency, heart disease, respiratory failure, kidney or liver disease, diabetes, and sickle cell disease, among others.
Shingles, two doses
Shingles vaccination with the recombinant vaccine Shingrix is recommended for all adults aged 65 and over, as well as from age 18 for immunocompromised people, in two doses given two months apart. Since December 14, 2024, this vaccine has been reimbursed at 65% by French National Health Insurance for these groups, with the remainder generally covered by your supplementary health insurer (mutuelle).
HPV, whooping cough, COVID-19: what specific situations apply to adults?
HPV catch-up up to age 26
Vaccination against human papillomaviruses is recommended at ages 11–14 in two doses, for girls and boys alike. Since December 19, 2025, catch-up vaccination is possible up to and including age 26 for young women and young men, in three doses when it starts at age 15 or older. The vaccine is reimbursed at 65%. It is one of the points to check during the prevention check-up at ages 18–25, along with STI screening and contraception, which we cover in detail on our page about sexual health.
Whooping cough around infants
Whooping cough is serious in infants under 6 months, who are too young to be protected by their own vaccines. The schedule recommends vaccinating pregnant women at each pregnancy, from the second trimester and preferably between 20 and 36 weeks of amenorrhea (counted from the last menstrual period), to pass antibodies on to the baby. If the mother was not vaccinated during pregnancy, anyone in close contact with the infant — father, grandparents, siblings, childminder — should be vaccinated if their last whooping cough vaccine was more than five years ago: this is the “cocooning” strategy. Health and early childhood professionals are covered in the same way.
COVID-19 and other situations
COVID-19 vaccination remains recommended for people at risk of severe illness; the 2026 schedule specifies that the Nuvaxovid vaccine can be used alongside messenger RNA vaccines from age 12 for these groups. Vaccinations related to an occupation, travel, or a chronic disease are decided with your regular doctor (médecin traitant), your occupational health doctor, or an international vaccination center.
Where and by whom can you get vaccinated?
Since the ministerial order of August 8, 2023, four professions can prescribe and administer the vaccines in the vaccination schedule to adults, which has made access much simpler: you no longer need to see a doctor for a DTP booster or a flu shot.
| Professional | What they can do | For whom | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doctor | Prescribe and administer all vaccines | All ages | Private practice, vaccination center, health center |
| Midwife | Prescribe and administer all vaccines in the schedule, except live attenuated vaccines in immunocompromised people | Everyone | Private practice, maternity unit, maternal and child health service (PMI) |
| Pharmacist | Prescribe and administer all vaccines in the schedule, after training, except live attenuated vaccines in immunocompromised people | People aged 11 and over | Pharmacy, medical laboratory |
| Nurse | Prescribe and administer all vaccines in the schedule, after training, except live attenuated vaccines in immunocompromised people | People aged 11 and over | Private practice, at home, healthcare facility |
In practice, for a healthy adult, the pharmacy is often the quickest option: you walk in without an appointment with your Carte Vitale (French health insurance card), the pharmacist checks your record, prescribes and injects the missing vaccine, then records it. People with a chronic disease, on immunosuppressive treatment, or who are pregnant are better off talking to their doctor or midwife first. The pharmacist can also carry out the prevention check-up, as we explain on our page about the prevention check-up with a pharmacist.
How do you find and keep your vaccination record up to date?
The vaccination record is the document in which all your vaccinations are written down; the health booklet from childhood serves this purpose until adulthood. Since 2022, you can also record your vaccinations online in the dedicated section of Mon espace santé (France’s personal digital health record, monespacesante.fr), by adding a shot yourself or uploading a copy of your paper record. The professional who vaccinates you must enter their name, the name of the vaccine, the date, and the batch number, according to French National Health Insurance. Mon espace santé can then alert you to upcoming boosters based on your date of birth.
Lost your record? Vaccination Info Service’s advice is simple: ask a health professional — doctor, pharmacist, nurse, or midwife — who will review your situation based on your age and health, then give you a new record. In the absence of written proof, the professional generally suggests redoing the missing vaccinations rather than leaving any doubt.
How much do adult vaccines cost?
Most vaccines in the schedule are reimbursed at 65% by French National Health Insurance with a prescription, with the rest generally covered by your supplementary health insurer. The flu vaccine is fully covered (100%) for everyone for whom it is recommended, including people aged 65 and over. The shingles vaccine has been reimbursed at 65% since December 14, 2024 for people aged 65 and over and immunocompromised people, and the HPV vaccine at 65% — at 100% when given at school or with the Complémentaire santé solidaire (C2S, France’s means-tested supplementary health coverage). No vaccination is mandatory for adults apart from certain occupational requirements; all those described here are recommended.
How does the prevention check-up help you take stock?
Vaccination is one of the official topics of Mon bilan prévention, France’s national prevention check-up program: a 30- to 45-minute consultation fully covered (100%) by French National Health Insurance at four key ages, whose framework we describe on our page about the prevention check-up. It is no coincidence that these ages — 18–25, 45–50, 60–65, and 70–75 — frame the milestones of the schedule: the booster at 25 and HPV catch-up, the booster at 45, starting flu, pneumococcal, and shingles vaccination at 65, then the booster at 75, covered in the prevention check-up at ages 70–75.
During the check-up, the professional goes through your record or your Mon espace santé section, identifies what is missing, and adds it to your Personalized Prevention Plan with a deadline and a place — “DTP booster at the pharmacy before the end of the month,” “flu and pneumococcal vaccines in the fall with your regular doctor.” If the professional is a pharmacist, nurse, or midwife, they can often give the vaccine right away or at a follow-up visit. It is the quickest part of the check-up to sort out, and one of the most useful.
Key takeaways
- DTP booster at 25, 45, and 65, then every ten years; whooping cough included at 25 (Vaccination Info Service).
- From 65: flu every year (fully covered, 100%), pneumococcal in a single dose since April 2025, shingles in two doses reimbursed at 65% since December 2024.
- HPV catch-up up to and including age 26 since December 19, 2025; whooping cough at each pregnancy and for people around infants.
- Doctors, midwives, pharmacists, and nurses can prescribe and vaccinate adults; the pharmacy is often the quickest option.
- Lost your record? A professional will review your situation based on your age; Mon espace santé has offered a digital record since 2022.
What Sokrate lets you do
The Sokrate service lets you prepare your prevention check-up online: an adaptive questionnaire covering nine dimensions of health, including your vaccinations, your screenings, and your risk factors, followed by a personalized plan written and signed by a doctor, sent to your regular doctor unless you object. A care coordination nurse handles follow-up and reminds you of the agreed deadlines. The check-up remains fully covered (100%) by French National Health Insurance when carried out by an authorized professional. To be notified when the service opens, join the waitlist.