Each year, 50,000 to 70,000 adults die of diseases that are preventable with vaccinations. According to a report given at the American College of Physicians’ 1998 annual meeting, some 34,000 lives could be saved if all adults were immunized. Experts say vaccines can prevent 70 percent of influenza deaths, 60 percent of cases of a certain type of pneumonia, and 90 percent of cases of hepatitis B.

But at least half of all Americans are behind on their booster shots, and new vaccines that prevent death from influenza, pneumonia, and hepatitis B are often underutilized.

Here are the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommended immunizations for adults.

Chicken pox (Varicella): Two doses, four to eight weeks apart, are recommended for people ages 13 and older who have not had chicken pox. This common childhood disease does occur in adults, and serious complications are possible.

Hepatitis A: Two doses, six to 12 months apart, are recommended for those traveling abroad and those at risk (health care workers, partners and close contacts of people with hepatitis A, IV drug users, and hemodialysis patients).

Hepatitis B: Three doses, the second a month after the first and the third five months after the second, are recommended for those at risk (health care workers, partners and close contacts of people with hepatitis B, IV drug users, and hemodialysis patients).

Influenza: A yearly injection in the fall is recommended for people ages 65 and older, for people with chronic conditions such as heart disease, lung disease, kidney disease, and diabetes, and for people who live with at-risk individuals. The risk of dying from flu-associated complications rises as you get older, but the CDC estimates that 80 percent of deaths from such complications in the elderly can be prevented by immunization.

Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR): Two doses, one month apart, are recommended for adults born after 1956 if immunity cannot be proved. Although they are considered childhood diseases, they also occur in adults.

Pneumococcal pneumonia: One dose is recommended for people ages 65 and older and for people with chronic conditions, kidney disorders, or sickle-cell anemia. Pneumonococcal infections kill 40,000 people annually through sepsis (infection of blood or tissues) and meningitis and are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics.

Tetanus/Diphtheria: Three doses plus a booster every 10 years are recommended for all adults if the initial series was not given in childhood. If you have a contaminated wound, especially from rusty metal or gardening, your doctor may recommend a tetanus shot if your last booster was five or more years ago. Children typically receive a combined diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccine, yet about half of all adults over age 60 never received the diphtheria immunization or periodic booster shots.