shifting focus to adult vaccinations critical as population ages

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one survey showed that less than 10 per cent of adult canadians were up to date on their vaccinations.

by emma jones

published mar 29, 2022

last updated feb 19, 2025

3 minute read

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3 minute read

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shifting focus to adult vaccinations critical as population ages

according to the government of canada’s immunization schedule tool, vaccinations funded for adults vary by province or territory. getty

focusing on adult vaccinations will be critical for a healthy population as the overall population, virtual attendants were told last wednesday at a media briefing hosted by glaxosmithkline (gsk), the pharmaceutical company that purchased pfizer’s consumer health business in 2018.

by 2050, the number of adults over 60 years of age will drastically rise worldwide, including 35 per cent of citizens in europe and 28 per cent in north america, according to the united nations department of economic and social affairs. this statistic that has some economists warning of surges in health- care spending and a decline in the available workforce.

the key to ensuring that health care and other services remain operational is to help citizens remain stay healthier later on in life, said mark doherty, senior manager at gsk global medical affairs. using vaccines to prevent disease is part of this strategy, as illnesses not only have an impact while we’re sick, but can also have far-reaching consequences that can cause disability or illness later on. for example, the risk of developing shingles after a bout of chickenpox, or developing pneumonia while having the flu.

‘a culture of vaccination’

“more than the obvious, when you have a culture of vaccination throughout your life, you prevent not only the disease that you’re aiming for with that specific vaccine, but also you prevent a lot of other conditions and diseases not related to that vaccine,” said dr. rodrigo schrage lins, president of the society of infectious diseases of the state of rio de janeiro.

as we age, genetics and lifestyle can cause the development of health concerns like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and slew of other conditions. these can then be exacerbated by contracting a virus or illness. these factors, together with our immune system naturally waning as we age, can result in serious complications.

“as people get older, their immune system starts to decline. it’s not just their immune system … your eyesight gets worse, your hearing, your memory gets worse,” doherty said. “but we also know that you can prevent a lot of this decline in aging and declining capacity with aging … if you exercise, if you don’t smoke, all of those things can extend your healthy lifespan.

“it’s true for your immune system as well. high vaccination coverage throughout life [is] important to staying healthy as long as possible.”

staying up-to-date on vaccinations

according to the public health agency of canada, adults really don’t know what vaccines are recommended as we age. results from the 2016 adult national immunization coverage survey (anics), published in july 2018, says that “while 88 per cent of individuals believed that they received all of the vaccines recommended for someone their age, only three per cent of respondents reported having received all of the recommended adult vaccines for their age/risk group.”

according to the government of canada’s website, the following vaccinations are recommended: seasonal influenza (every fall); meningococcal infection (those with specific medical conditions or who live in residential accommodations like student dorms or the military); pneumococcal infection (adults 65 years and older, as well as those with specific medical conditions); herpes zoster (shingles) (adults 60 years and older, as well as those with specific medical risks); tetanus and diphtheria (every ten years); pertussis/whooping cough (at some point in adulthood and at every pregnancy); hepatitis a & b (everyone wanting protection, as well as those at risk or who have been exposed); and human papillomavirus (canadians, not only females, between nine and 26 years old, and adults over 27 years who are at risk of exposure)

according to the government of canada’s immunization schedule tool, vaccinations funded for adults vary by province or territory. the majority of health bodies publicly fund the influenza vaccine annually, a tetanus and diphtheria booster every ten years, as well as pertussis (whooping cough) at each pregnancy and/or at least once in an adult’s lifetime. pneumococcal polysaccharide is also widely funded for adults when they reach 65 years of age.

in ontario, two doses of the herpes zoster (shingles) vaccine is also covered for adults between the ages of 65 to 70. other vaccinations may be covered based on risk, ongoing legislation changes or through private health insurance.

update 2022-04-04: a previous version of this article wrote that gsk had merged with pfizer, however, gsk purchased pfizer’s consumer health business but both pharmaceutical companies operate independently.

emma jones is a multimedia editor with healthing. you can reach her at emjones@postmedia.com or on twitter @jonesyjourn.

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