Department of Health and Human Services
Administration on Aging

Back to Previous

Spotlight On

Protect Yourself from Vaccine-Preventable Diseases - August 2006

August is National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM). The goal of NIAM is to increase awareness about immunizations across the life span, from infants to the elderly. By staying up-to-date on recommended vaccines, individuals can protect themselves, their families and friends, and their communities from serious, life-threatening infections. Older adults and their caregivers should know how to protect against pneumonia and influenza, which together are the fifth leading cause of death among the elderly in America. Each year in the U.S., about 40,000 adults die from vaccine-preventable deaths.

Preventive Services Like Vaccinations Keep Older Adults Healthy

Medicare pays for many preventive services, which help keep you healthy. Preventive services like the flu and pneumococcal (pneumonia) shots are recommended for older Americans who are at increased risk for complications from these diseases.

Influenza shots are given annually, and pneumococcal shots are usually given once in a lifetime. The costs associated with these shots are covered under Medicare Part B.

Get the Facts:

1. Influenza, also called the “flu,” is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. There are over 200,000 hospitalizations from influenza on average every year.
   • An average of 36,000 Americans die annually due to influenza and its complications – most are people 65 years of age and over.
   • The best way to prevent the flu is to get vaccinated (immunized) each year during the fall season.
   • Because flu viruses change from year to year, it is important to get a flu shot each year
   • The best time to be vaccinated is in October and November. However, vaccination in December or even later is still beneficial because the virus that causes influenza circulates past the New Year.
   • Medicare pays for the influenza immunization or “flu shot.”
   • The links below provide general information related to Medicare and influenza vaccinations.
2. Pneumococcal pneumonia is the most common type of bacterial pneumonia. There are over 40,000 cases of invasive pneumococcal disease in the U.S. and approximately one-third of these cases occur in people 65 and older.
   • Over half of the more than 5,000 annual deaths from invasive (enters healthy tissue) pneumococcal disease occur in persons 65 years of age and older.
   • Medicare covers one pneumococcal vaccination for all Medicare beneficiaries.
   • One vaccine at age 65 generally provides coverage for a lifetime, but for some high-risk persons, a booster vaccine is needed. Medicare will also cover a booster vaccine for high-risk persons if 5 years have passed since their last vaccination.
   • African Americans and Hispanics have significantly lower influenza and pneumococcal immunization rates compared to the rest of the population. Influenza vaccination coverage among adults 65 years of age and older is 68 percent for whites, 48 percent for African Americans, and 54 percent for Hispanics. The gap for pneumococcal vaccination coverage among ethnic groups is even wider, with 60 percent for whites, 38 percent for African Americans, and 36 percent for Hispanics.
   • The links below provide general information related to Medicare and pneumococcal vaccinations.

• Related links:
  • Administration on Aging’s “Be Wise…Immunize” (2005 Immunization Campaign)
  • American Lung Association
  • See the following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) links for information on Influenza, Pneumococcal (pneumonia), and the Adult immunization schedule.
  • See Stopping germs at home, work and school or http://www.cdc.gov/germstopper/materials
  • See Infection control in health facilities
  • A Toolkit with tips on more ways besides vaccination to prevent flu
  • My.Medicare.gov: For Medicare’s free and secure online service to establish and access your Medicare information.

SOURCES

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2006). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). National Immunization Program. Continuing efforts in adult immunization. Retrieved on August 15, 2006 from http://www.cdc.gov/nip/webutil/about/annual-rpts

Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics. (2006). Older Americans 2004: Key indicators of well-being. Vaccinations. Retrieved on August 17, 2006 from http://www.agingstats.gov/chartbook2004/healthrisks.html

National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID). Facts about influenza for adults. Retrieved on August 15, 2006 from http://www.nfid.org/pdf/factsheets/influadult.pdf.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2005). Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS): Guide to Medicare’s preventive services. Retrieved on August 17, 2006 from http://www.medicare.gov/publications/pubs/pdf/10050.pdf and http://www.My.Medicare.gov

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2005). Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS): Adult Immunization Overview. Retrieved on August 15, 2006 from http://www.cms.hhs.gov/AdultImmunizations/

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Immunization Program. Racial and Ethnic Adult Disparities Adult Immunization (READII): What is being done to address racial and ethnic disparities in adult immunization. Retrieved on August 17 from http://www.cdc.gov/nip/specint/readii/readii_whatis.pdf.