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United States Value:
Percentage of adults age 65 and older who reported ever receiving a pneumonia vaccine
Percentage of adults age 65 and older who have not served in the U.S. armed forces and reported ever receiving a pneumonia vaccine
76.5% - 72.9%
72.8% - 71.2%
71.1% - 69.8%
69.7% - 67.5%
67.4% - 62.9%
No Data
US Value: 69.8%
Top State(s): New Hampshire: 76.4%
Bottom State(s): Hawaii: 63.2%
Definition: Percentage of adults age 65 and older who reported ever receiving a pneumonia vaccine
Data Source and Years(s): U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2024
Suggested Citation: America's Health Rankings analysis of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, accessed 2026.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all adults age 50 and older receive a vaccine to help protect against pneumococcal disease. Pneumococcal disease refers to any infection caused by bacteria called Streptococcus pneumoniae. These bacteria can cause many infections, including pneumonia, ear infections, sinus infections and meningitis. While most pneumococcal infections are mild, some can be fatal or lead to long-term complications like hearing loss.
The incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease decreased significantly in the United States with the introduction and uptake of pneumococcal vaccines. Currently, there are two types of vaccines to protect against pneumococcal disease: pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV15, PCV20 and PCV21) and the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23). The CDC recommends different vaccines depending on age, previous vaccinations and other medical conditions.
Every year, approximately 900,000 individuals in the U.S. are diagnosed with pneumonia, 150,000of whom are hospitalized and 41,000 of whom die from pneumonia or its complications. Hospitalization and death rates from pneumococcal infections are highest among older adults.
According to America’s Health Rankings analysis, the prevalence of pneumococcal vaccination is higher among:
Strategies to increase pneumococcal vaccinations among older adults include:
Additionally, the American Academy of Family Physicians has established grants to support quality improvement initiatives to increase the rates of pneumococcal vaccinations among adults in Kansas, Illinois and New Jersey.
Healthy People 2030 has an objective to reduce the rate of hospital admissions for pneumonia among older adults.
Gierke, Ryan, Sopio Chochua, Kristin Andrejko, Lesley McGee, and Miwako Kobayashi. “Chapter 11: Pneumococcal.” In Manual for the Surveillance of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases, edited by Sandra W. Roush, Linda M. Baldy, and Jake Mulroy. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/surv-manual/php/table-of-contents/chapter-11-pneumococcal.html.
Hayes, Brandon H., Dana L. Haberling, Jordan L. Kennedy, Jay K. Varma, Alicia M. Fry, and Neil M. Vora. “Burden of Pneumonia-Associated Hospitalizations.” Chest 153, no. 2 (February 2018): 427–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chest.2017.09.041.
Ho, Hanley J., Yi-Roe Tan, Alex R. Cook, Gerald Koh, Tat Yean Tham, Eve Anwar, Grace Shu Hui Chiang, May O. Lwin, and Mark I. Chen. “Increasing Influenza and Pneumococcal Vaccination Uptake in Seniors Using Point-of-Care Informational Interventions in Primary Care in Singapore: A Pragmatic, Cluster-Randomized Crossover Trial.” American Journal of Public Health 109, no. 12 (October 17, 2019): 1776–83. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2019.305328.
Valdez, R. Burciaga, and Korazon S. Romero. “Improving Adult Vaccination Status in the United States.” Healthcare 9, no. 11 (October 21, 2021): 1411. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9111411.
Williams, Walter W., Peng-Jun Lu, Alissa O’Halloran, David K. Kim, Lisa A. Grohskopf, Tamara Pilishvili, Tami H. Skoff, et al. “Surveillance of Vaccination Coverage Among Adult Populations — United States, 2015.” MMWR. Surveillance Summaries 66, no. 11 (May 5, 2017): 1–28. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.ss6611a1.
America’s Health Rankings builds on the work of the United Health Foundation to draw attention to public health and better understand the health of various populations. Our platform provides relevant information that policymakers, public health officials, advocates and leaders can use to effect change in their communities.
We have developed detailed analyses on the health of key populations in the country, including women and children, seniors and those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, in addition to a deep dive into health disparities across the country.
