Noninfluenza Vaccination Rates Among U.S. Adults Remain Low

By Cara Adler

Rates of six routine vaccinations among U.S. adults improved little in 2012 and remained low, according to a CDC analysis of National Health Interview Survey data published in MMWR.

Compared with 2011, there were small increases in vaccination with:

-- Tdap (tetanus toxoid, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis) among people aged 19 to 64 (from 12% coverage in 2011 to 16% in 2012);

-- herpes zoster among people aged 60 and older (from 16% to 20% coverage);

-- human papillomavirus among women aged 19 to 26 (from 30% to 35% coverage).

At the same time, racial and ethnic disparities in coverage widened for these three vaccines and persisted for others, with rates highest in whites. In 2012, rates for hepatitis B, hepatitis A, and pneumococcal vaccination coverage ranged from 12% to 60%.

The authors recommend several strategies for increasing vaccination rates. For instance, clinicians should routinely assess patients' vaccination coverage and offer needed vaccines.