Older adults’ vaccination rates rise with clear communication and planning

A clear endorsement from their health care provider and being supplied with information about recommended vaccines before their clinic visit spurred more older Americans to get vaccinated, a new University of Virginia School of Medicine study found.

Because immune systems age like the rest of the body, older adults are at higher risk for poor outcomes from infections. But only 15% of Americans ages 50 and older and 25% of Americans ages 65 and older are up to date on all recommended vaccines, including flu, RSV, tetanus and pneumococcal disease.

In the study, six primary care clinics across America piloted a new approach to boosting vaccination rates. This included providing patients with a decision-making plan ahead of their clinic visit that listed vaccination recommendations and encouraged the patients to share concerns about getting vaccinated. After using the tool, 79% of patients said they were willing to get vaccinated, compared with 68% beforehand.

The researchers have published their findings in Open Forum Infectious Diseases.

The approach also featured collaborative learning sessions where patients and health care providers discussed patients’ concerns and barriers to getting vaccinated. Some 63% of patients in the study said that a strong recommendation from their health care provider would motivate them to get vaccinated.

“The vaccination schedule for older adults, like for pediatric patients, can be confusing—to know what is needed and when,” said Laurie Archbald-Pannone, MD, a UVA Health geriatrician and lead author of the study. “Patients in the study reported that a clear recommendation from their health care provider was most impactful in getting them vaccinated.”

Of the 116 patients surveyed, 60% said they had not regularly discussed barriers to vaccination with their health care provider before participating in the study. The most cited barriers included knowing which vaccines were needed; paying for vaccinations; keeping track of vaccines and when they were due; concerns about side effects; and getting transportation to receive a vaccine.

After using the shared decision-making tool, 79% of patients in the study said they discussed their vaccination concerns more or much more than during previous visits.

“Clear information and good discussions about vaccines between patients and their care providers is critical to getting older adults vaccinated,” Archbald-Pannone said.