Promoting older adults’ immunization
Adult immunization is a critical part of life-course immunization, which supports health promotion, as well as disease prevention and management through people’s life span. Vaccination is an essential part of late-life health regiments, substantially reducing hospitalization and mortality from diseases such as influenza, shingles, and pneumococcal disease, in the world’s even-growing population of older adults. Vaccine uptake varies in older adults by target disease, individual demographics, and country; however, there are common barriers worldwide that must be addressed to increase coverage and improve health. To ensure good health for all older adults, these barriers must remain a priority.
One important barrier to vaccine access in older adults is misinformation. In recent years, misinformation regarding vaccination has increased substantially, creating mistrust in the general population. For example, older adults appear to be the age group least affected by misinformation; for example, a recent study found that 8% of adults aged 55-75 years believed that COVID-19 vaccination programme was designed to track and control the population compared with 27% of people aged 16-24 years. However, older individuals are still vulnerable to misinformation, with research showing that exposed individuals experience anxiety and worry, even when able to correctly identify the misinformation.
Alongside misinformation, a lack of relevant information has also been recognized as a barrier to vaccination, with studies identifying that some older adults are unaware of the need for vaccination in general, which vaccines they require, and of the health benefits of vaccination. Clear, concise public health campaigns explaining the importance and mechanisms of vaccination, both for all ages and specifically targeting older individuals, must continue to be prioritized to reduce the effects of misinformation and lack of information and ensure that individuals’ decisions can be informed ones.
Beyond information, cost, in settings where recommended vaccines are not free, is a common barrier to vaccination as older adults are especially vulnerable to financial instability. This barrier is key to improving vaccination rates across all ages, as vaccinations incurring personal cost have worse uptake than those that are free or subsidized. Targeted programs that make specific vaccinations free to higher risk groups successfully alleviated the issue of direct cost for many older adults. The benefits of adult vaccinations far outweigh the costs,meaning that these programs must be considered and expanded worldwide.
Too often, older individuals are homogenized into one group, neglecting the fact that sub-populations are subject to different contexts and barrier. Adults older than 65 years make up 15% of the world’s population, making them a group too large to be treated as one entity. Research and interventions must consider specific subpopulations to improve vaccine uptake. A key subpopulation in older adults consists of those with disabilities; more than 46% of older adults have at least one disability and therefore require different accommodations to be able to access vaccination. A collaborative and flexible approach that involves people with disabilities in the planning and implementation of accessibility measures is essential to ensure that individuals with disabilities can access vaccinations. For example, approaches such as in-home vaccination and mobile vaccination clinics can increase accessibility for older adults with physical disabilities.
Late-life immunization is essential to the health and wellbeing of older adults. The scale-up and initiation of programs specifically designed to reach older adults and addressing barriers such as a lack of information, cost, and disabilities, is crucial to ensure that the ultimate goal of immunization for all becomes reality. Immunization for all is humanly possible. For older adults, getting even basic vaccines like pneumonia, shingles, or your flu and COVIDF shots could literally save your life or prevent potentially decades of disability.