Adults Fall Short on Vaccinations

While there has been some increase in adult vaccination rates, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that there is still room for improvement. About 40 percent of adults between the ages of 50 and 64 years, 33.4 percent of adults ages 19 to 49 in the high-risk group and close to 66 percent of adults ages 65 and older received the flu vaccine in 2009. The number of adults ages 65 years and older who received the pneumococcal vaccine rose to 60 percent from 50 percent in 1999, but only 10 percent of adults ages 60 and older received the shingles vaccine. And, the number of adults ages 19 to 49 who received the hepatitis B vaccine rose to 42 percent from 38 percent in 1999.

A National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID)-commissioned survey found that 87 percent of 300 physicians polled said they talk about vaccines with every patient, but about 47 percent of 1,000 consumers surveyed said their doctors did not discuss vaccines other than the flu shot. According to NFID Medical Director Dr. Susan Rehm, nearly 90 percent of adults would get vaccinated if a doctor strongly recommended it, but just 50 percent know about the immunization schedule for adults.