title: Immunization for seniors.
abstract: Vaccine-preventable diseases remain a significant health problem for adults in the United States. Far more adults die from the complications of vaccine-preventable diseases than do children in this country. Available vaccines that are effective in preventing morbidity and mortality from these conditions are underutilized, and significant racial and ethnic disparities in rates of utilization of adult vaccines persist. A variety of important vaccine-preventable diseases affect seniors. However, influenza and pneumococcal infections stand out as being responsible for more cases and more deaths each year among seniors than all other vaccine-preventable diseases in the United States combined. Current vaccination rates for these two diseases are far short of the Healthy People 2010 target rates of 90% immunization of the population of adults aged 65 years or over. Despite state efforts to improve vaccination rates of seniors, efforts that have included regulatory and educational approaches, significant challenges remain in designing immunization programs for seniors that are universally effective.
authors.affiliation: Oklahoma Foundation for Medical Quality, Inc., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA.
authors.forename: Dale W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Bratzler
authors.forename: B F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Christiaens
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hempstead
authors.forename: Kristin L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Nichol
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D009009:Montana / Q000453:epidemiology; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines; D011635:Public Health Administration; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014611:Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines