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Given the ambivalence demonstrated by large segments of the American public over getting the pandemic flu vaccine, it probably comes as little surprise that the uptake of other vaccines by adults in this country is disappointing as well.
Beyond the distrust of vaccines being instilled into the public by anti-vaccine activists and the tabloid press, there is also a mistaken belief among many that vaccines are something designed for children – not adults.
Add to that gaps in insurance coverage for many adult vaccinations and very little public education on the subject, and the uptake rate in some regions of the country is absolutely dismal.
TFAH the Trust for Americas Health Foundation, in conjunction with IDSA (Infectious Disease Society of America) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has just released an issue brief on adult vaccination in the United States.
Here are some excerpts from the TFAH press release, but by all means download and read the full report.
Adult Immunization: Shots to Save Lives
February 2010
More than 30 Percent of Seniors Are Not Immunized Against Pneumonia in 36 States; New Report Finds Low Adult Vaccination Rates in U.S.
A February 2010 report, Adult Immunization: Shots to Save Lives, released by the Trust for America's Health (TFAH), the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) found that more than 30 percent of adults ages 65 and older had not been immunized against pneumonia in 36 states as of 2008. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other experts recommend that all seniors should be vaccinated against pneumonia, which is a one-time shot for most individuals, since seniors who get the seasonal flu are at risk for developing pneumonia as a complication.
Nationally, 33.1 percent of seniors had not been immunized against pneumonia, and even in the state with the highest immunization rate - Oregon - more than one quarter (26.8 percent) of seniors were not immunized. Washington, D.C. had the lowest number of seniors immunized, with nearly half (45.6 percent) of seniors not immunized.
Overall, the Adult Immunization report found millions of American adults go without routine and recommended vaccinations each year, which leads to an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 preventable deaths, thousands of preventable illnesses, and $10 billion in preventable health care costs each year. In addition to low rates of pneumonia immunizations, only 2.1 percent of eligible adults have had the tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough vaccine in the previous two years; only 10 percent of eligible adult women have had the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine; and only 36.1 percent of all adults were vaccinated against the seasonal flu in 2008.
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