Low Vaccination Rates among Adults

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Pittsburgh Tribune-Review February 5, 2010

Title: Adults failing to get Vaccines Rate blamed for loss of billions
of dollars, thousands of lives by McClatchy Newspapers


States require children to have all their immunizations prior to
starting school. Some veterinary offices send reminders to clients
when their pets need vaccines. Seniors do not have these safety nets.
It was found that 1/3 of seniors had not received any immunizations
against pneumonia in 36 states in 2008. As well, nearly 1/3 of
seniors also went without the annual flu vaccine that year. The
articles says millions of adults forego immunizations for preventable
diseases each year, and between 40,000-50,000 people die each year
because of it. Because vaccines are not given, it adds an additional
10 billion dollars annually to the cost of health care according to
the CDC. Oregon had the best rate of the pneumonia vaccine with
about 75% of seniors obtaining it; whereas Washington D.C. had the
lowest with about 50% not receiving the vaccine.
Adults slip through the cracks when it comes to vaccinations. They
are usually seeing their healthcare providers for specific reasons
and not for an overall picture of health. Another reason is that
seniors are not linked to organizations that require vaccinations
like children are with schools. Other hinders to vaccines are the
cost, misinformation regarding effectiveness and safety, and
insurance coverage that does not cover vaccinations, and having the
vaccines not readily accessible.
Jeff Levi, the executive director of the Trust for America's Health
states, "We need a national strategy to make vaccines a regular part
of medical care and educate Americans about the effectiveness and
safety of vaccines." The CDC has recommended that everyone older than
65 get the pneumonia vaccine. They are hoping for 90% compliance rate
this year. They also included a vaccination schedule in the article
for adults with varying age ranges and the recommended vaccines.