Adult Vaccination Coverage Below Healthy People 2020 Targets
- By BSTQ Staff
Adult vaccination coverage remains well below Healthy People 2020 targets, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which assessed vaccination coverage among adults ages 19 years and older for selected vaccines using data from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey. The survey summarizes analysis for pneumococcal, tetanus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, herpes zoster and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines. Compared with 2011, there was only a modest increase in vaccination with the tetanus/diphtheria/acellular pertussis vaccine among adults ages 19 years to 64 years, herpes zoster vaccination among adults at least 60 years of age, and HPV vaccination among women ages 19 years to 26 years. Coverage with other vaccines among U.S. adults did not improve. Pneumococcal vaccination coverage among high-risk adults ages 19 years to 64 years was 20 percent overall. Hepatitis A vaccination coverage with at least two doses among adults ages 19 years to 49 years was 12.2 percent, similar to the estimate for 2011. In 2012, 34.5 percent of women ages 19 years to 26 years reported receipt of at least one dose of HPV vaccine, up from 29.5 percent reported for 2011.
Authorities such as the Community Preventive Services Task Force recommend that healthcare providers incorporate vaccination needs assessment, recommendation and offer of vaccination into their usual clinical practice for adults.
