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Protect and Prevent

Vaccine Essentials for Seniors

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Learning Outcomes

At the conclusion of this session, learners will be able to:
Differentiate between active and passive immunity.
Explain the importance of vaccination in the control of infectious disease.
Identify the various types of vaccines.
Utilize the current Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) immunization recommendations across the lifespan to select appropriate vaccinations for a patient.
Recognize attitudinal, knowledge, and other barriers contributing to suboptimal vaccination rates.

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Vaccine History

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https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dr_Jenner_performing_his_first_vaccination,_1796_Wellcome_M0000144.jpg

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A Brief History of Vaccination

Began as early as the 15^th century with passive exposure
Smallpox inoculation began in Europe in 1721
Louis Pasteur created the first laboratory-produced vaccine in 1872
Joan Salk developed the first effective polio vaccine in 1952
The WHO introduced the Intensified Smallpox Eradication Program in 1967
The first hepatitis B vaccine was developed in 1969

https://www.who.int/news-room/spotlight/history-of-vaccination/a-brief-history-of-vaccination

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Dedication

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Vaccines Save Lives

Between 2014 and 2019, roughly 1900 cases of measles, a disease that was declared by the United States to be eradicated in 2000, have been recorded
Estimated cost to contain each case (including follow-up) was $140,000
Total cost to stop the spread of measles was approximately $266 million
The US spends nearly $27 billion treating adults for diseases that could have been prevented with vaccinations

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Immunization

passive

Protection transferred from another person or animal
Methods of acquisition include:

Natural maternal antibodies
Antitoxins
Immune globulins

Effects are only temporary

active

Relatively permanent
Methods of acquisition include:

Natural infection
Vaccines
Toxoids

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https://www.iberdrola.com/social-commitment/history-of-vaccines

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Audience Participation Poll

Polio
Tetanus
Rubella
Measles

Pertussis

Mumps

Chicken Pox

Diphtheria

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https://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/about/index.html

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/diseases/forgot-14-diseases.html

Raise your hand if you know someone who had:

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PROTECTING YOUR HEALTH

Vaccines for Seniors

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Types of vaccines

Live vaccines	Live Attenuated vaccines	Killed Inactivated vaccines	Toxoids	Cellular fraction vaccines	Recombinant vaccines
Small pox variola vaccine	BCG Typhoid oral Plague Oral polio Yellow fever Measles Mumps Rubella Intranasal Influenza Typhus	Typhoid Cholera Pertussis Plague Rabies Salk polio Intra-muscular influenza Japanese encephalitis	Diphtheria Tetanus	Meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine Hepatitis B polypeptide vaccine	Hepatitis B vaccine

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Scheme of immunization

Primary vaccination

One dose vaccines (BCG, variola, measles, mumps, rubella, yellow fever)

Multiple dose vaccines (polio, DPT, hepatitis B)

Booster vaccination

To maintain immunity level after it declines after some time has elapsed (DT, MMR).

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Vaccine Storage

Among the vaccines, polio is the most sensitive to heat, requiring storage at minus 20 degree C.

Vaccines which must be stored in the freezer compartment are: polio and measles.

Vaccines which must be stored in the COLD PART but never allowed to freeze are : typhoid, DPT, tetanus toxoid, DT, BCG and diluents

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Why Vaccinations Matter for Seniors

Weakened immune system
Increased risk of chronic conditions
Severe illness from preventable diseases

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Top Vaccines for Seniors-Td/Tdap

Tetanus (T) causes painful stiffening of the muscles and can lead to serious health problems, including difficulty swallowing, difficulty breathing, and death.
Diphtheria (D) can lead to difficulty breathing, heart failure, paralysis, or death.
Pertussis (aP) can cause uncontrollable, violent coughing that makes breathing, eating, or drinking hard.
Immunization protects you and others
Boosters are recommended every 10 years

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Top Vaccines for Seniors-Pneumococcal

Pneumococcal disease is caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae.
There are more than 100 subtypes, but only a few produce the majority of invasive pneumococcal infections.
The disease is spread from person to person by droplets in the air.
There are two types of pneumococcal vaccine

Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV)
Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV)

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Top Vaccines for Seniors-Pneumococcal

Recommendations for pneumococcal vaccination of adults differ
Age, health condition, and history of pneumococcal vaccination are important
Adults ages 65 years or older and who have not had pneumococcal vaccination before should receive a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV):

one dose of PCV20 alone.
one dose of PCV15 followed one year later by pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23).
adults who have only had a dose of PPSV23 may receive either PCV20 or PCV15 at least one year later.

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Top Vaccines for Seniors-Influenza

Influenza is largely seen between October and May.
It is more dangerous for infants and young children, people 65 years and older, pregnant people, and people with certain health conditions or a weakened immune system.
Complications include pneumonia, bronchitis, sinus infections, and ear infections.
It is recommended that everyone age 6 months and older get a yearly flu vaccine.
Vaccination can markedly lower the risk of influenza-related illness, hospitalization (by 50%), and death.
Flu vaccine may be given at the same time as other vaccines.

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Top Vaccines for Seniors-Zoster (Shingles)

Herpes zoster (AKA shingles) is a painful skin rash, usually with blisters.
Herpes zoster is caused by varicella-zoster virus.
Risk increases with age.
The most common complication of shingles is postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) which can be severe and debilitating.
Shingles cannot be passed from one person to another, but the virus can spread and cause chickenpox in someone who has never had chickenpox or has never received chickenpox vaccine.
Suggested 2 doses, 2-6 months apart

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Top Vaccines for Seniors-RSV

Respiratory Syncytial virus (RSV) is a common lower respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms but may be especially serious for infants and older adults.
RSV spreads through direct contact with the virus, such as droplets from another person’s cough or sneeze contacting your eyes, nose, or mouth.
Adults >60 with increased risk may qualify for annual vaccination; shared decision with your medical provider is suggested.
Handwashing!

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Top Vaccines for Seniors-COVID

SARS‑CoV‑2 that spreads easily; symptoms may appear 2 to 14 days after exposure
Complications may include severe illness requiring hospitalization, intensive care, or a ventilator to help with breathing.
In extreme cases COVID‑19 can still result in death.
For fall 2024, CDC does not expect to initially recommend an additional dose of 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccine for people ages 65 years and older who are not moderately or severely immunocompromised.
Stay tuned!

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https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/clinical-considerations/covid-19-vaccines-us.html

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Top Vaccines for Seniors-Travel Vaccines

Speak with your medical provider
Make sure you are up to date with routine vaccinations
Work with a clinic specializing in travel medicine
Common travel vaccines include:

Cholera
Japanese encephalitis
Rabies
Typhoid
Yellow fever
Dengue fever

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/travel-vaccines

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Be a Vaccine Champion

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Talk To Your Medical Provider

Vaccine recommendations should be personalized
Review medical history and lifestyle with your provider
Keep your vaccination records up to date
Talk to your families and friends

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ACIP

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) comprises medical and public health experts who develop recommendations on the use of vaccines in the civilian population of the United States. The recommendations stand as public health guidance for safe use of vaccines and related biological products.

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/index.html

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There’s an app for that…

Download “CDC Vaccine Schedules” free for iOS and Android devices.
Access the Schedules on the Web

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/index.html

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Vaccines for Other Ages

MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella)
HIB (Hemophilus influenza type B)
HPV (Human Papilloma Virus)
Meningococcal
Polio
Varicella
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus)
Rotavirus
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/downloads/parent-ver-sch-0-6yrs.pdf

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Vaccine Hesitancy

The World Health Organization defines vaccine hesitancy as a “delay in acceptance or refusal of vaccines despite availability of vaccination services.
Decision making around vaccination entails a complex mix of cultural, psychosocial, spiritual, political, and cognitive factors.
Reasons for vaccine hesitancy fit into 3 categories:
1. lack of confidence (in effectiveness, safety, the system, or policy makers)
2. complacency (perceived low risk of acquiring VPDs)
3. lack of convenience (in the availability, accessibility, and appeal of immunization services, including time, place, language, and cultural contexts)

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Vaccine Hesitancy-Lack of Confidence 1

1. Tuskegee Syphilis Study

1932-600 Black men were enrolled in a study on the progression of syphilis under the guise of receiving free medical care for their condition.
Some men began to die, go blind or develop other severe health conditions due to their untreated syphilis but researchers continued the experiment for 40 more years.
The exploitation of these patients has become known as one of the most infamous displays of medical racism in history.

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Vaccine Hesitancy-Lack of Confidence 2

2. “Mississippi Appendectomy”

1920s-1980s
Medical practice that provided involuntary hysterectomies and sterilization on women of color.
Term coined by Fannie Lou Hammer, who was a civil rights activist who went into the hospital to have a tumor removed but was instead sterilized.

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Vaccine Hesitancy-Lack of Confidence 3

3. Henrietta Lacks

a Black mother of five who died in 1951 from an aggressive cervical cancer at the age of 31
Her cancer cells were taken without her knowledge or consent and have been involved in numerous medical advancements in cancer, immunology and infectious disease ever since.
Companies that profited from her cells failed to inform or compensate her family for decades.

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Vaccine Hesitancy-Complacency

1. Actually is a result of successful immunization programs
2. Many Americans have never seen a child struggling to breathe from whooping cough or unable to walk from polio
3. The things that frightened our parents and grandparents are invisible to us
4. “It can’t happen to me”

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Vaccine Hesitancy-Convenience

1. Physical availability
2. Affordability and willingness to pay
3. Geographical accessibility
4. Ability to understand
5. Appeal of immunization services

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The Results of Vaccine Hesitancy

As of March 27, 2025, a total of 483 confirmed* measles cases were reported by 20 jurisdictions: Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, New York State, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, and Washington.

There have been 5 outbreaks (defined as 3 or more related cases) reported in 2025, and 93% of confirmed cases (447 of 483) are outbreak-associated. For comparison, 16 outbreaks were reported during 2024 and 69% of cases (198 of 285) were outbreak-associated.