The numbers of adults receiving shingles vaccination are falling, with many Americans not deeming the vaccination a priority, according to PBS Newshour.
Here are six takeaways:
1. Three out of four Americans older than 60 did not receive a shingles vaccination.
2. Shingles may cause rashes over the face and body, blindness and a stinging pain persisting for weeks or even months.
3. While the vaccination rates for children have risen over 90 percent in the last few years, the vaccination rates for older adults have remained the same and fall short of national goals. Unvaccinated adults are at an increased risk of death, hospitalization or debilitating effects.
4. One in three seniors do not get vaccinated for the flu and four in 10 seniors are not vaccinated for pneumonia.
5. Various factors may attribute to the low vaccination rates. For one, vaccinations are not always effective, and adults may deem the cost not worth the relative effectiveness. Additionally, physicians do not store the shingles vaccination in their office so patients may have to fill a prescription at a pharmacy or health clinic.
6. Various health systems are utilizing electronic medical records to identify seniors needing vaccinations. Springfield-based Mercy Care Alliance (Mass.) identified more than 1,000 seniors who did not have a record of a pneumonia vaccine within the last five years. The hospital called those patients' physician in an effort to reduce pneumonia hospitalizations.
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