Pneumonia Vaccination - Ages 65+

Pneumonia Vaccination - Ages 65+ in United States

United States

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends all adults ages 65 and older receive a vaccine that helps protect against pneumococcal disease. Pneumococcal infection is caused by bacteria called Streptococcus pneumoniae. These bacteria can cause many kinds of infections, including pneumonia, ear infections, sinus infections and meningitis. While most pneumococcal infections are mild, some can be fatal or result in long-term problems such as brain damage or hearing loss. 

Hospitalization and death rates from pneumococcal infections are highest among older adults. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13, PCV15 or PCV20) and pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) are the two types of vaccine recommended to protect against pneumococcal disease in the U.S. The incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease has decreased over the past two decades with the introduction and uptake of pneumococcal vaccines in adults and children.

The prevalence of pneumococcal vaccination is higher among:

• Older women compared with older men. 
• Older white adults and older adults who identify their race as other compared with older Hispanic and Black adults. 
• Older adults who are college graduates compared with those with less than a high school education. 
• Older adults with an annual household income of $75,000 or more compared with those with incomes less than $25,000.

Strategies to increase pneumococcal vaccinations among older adults include: 

• Providing point-of-care information such as flyers and posters that encourage pneumococcal vaccination in locations caring for older adults, particularly in areas with low-income populations. 
• Vaccine reminders and recommendations from health care providers. 
• Increasing convenient access to vaccination in locations beyond the doctor’s office, such as pharmacies or retail settings. 

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, Lesley McGee, Bernard Beall, and Tamara Pilishivili. 2020. “Chapter 11: Pneumococcal.” In Manual for the Surveillance of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases, edited by Sandra W. Roush, Linda M. Baldy, and Mary Ann Kirkconnell Hall. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/surv-manual/chpt11-pneumo.html.

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. 2019. “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 (12): 1776–83. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2019.305328.

Storms, Aaron D., Jufu Chen, Lisa A. Jackson, James D. Nordin, Allison L. Naleway, Jason M. Glanz, Steven J. Jacobsen, et al. 2017. “Rates and Risk Factors Associated with Hospitalization for Pneumonia with ICU Admission among Adults.” BMC Pulmonary Medicine 17 (December): 208. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12890-017-0552-x.

Williams, Walter W., Peng-Jun Lu, Alissa O’Halloran, David K. Kim, Lisa A. Grohskopf, Tamara Pilishvili, Tami H. Skoff, et al. 2017. “Surveillance of Vaccination Coverage among Adult Populations — United States, 2015.” MMWR. Surveillance Summaries 66 (11): 1–28. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.ss6611a1.