Older Adults and Vaccines

AARP Public Policy Institute

Published May 17, 2021

AARP surveyed adults age 50 and older to learn the extent to which they get the vaccines their health care providers recommend for protection against diseases including influenza, pneumonia and shingles. Responses fell along a vaccine acceptance continuum. Nearly half get all of the vaccines recommended to them, and just 11 percent get none. In the middle are 44 percent who get some, but not all, of the recommended vaccines, who weigh the risks and benefits of each.

At a time when older adults are weighing the decision to get a COVID-19 vaccine, the AARP Public Policy Institute is highlighting current vaccination rates among older adults, barriers in the current vaccine system and implications they might have on future vaccination behavior, rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine to older adults, and solutions to address challenges and improve vaccine uptake.

Reports

The COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout: How the Current Vaccine Environment Could Impact Uptake among Adults 50 and Older

Influenza Vaccinations among Adults 50 and Older: Slow Progress over the Past Decade

Vaccine Hesitancy among Older Adults, with Implications for COVID-19 Vaccination and Beyond

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Millions of Older Adults Are Skipping Flu Shots Every Year

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