(Press-News.org) Contact information: David Kelly
david.kelly@ucdenver.edu
303-503-7990
University of Colorado Denver
Thousands of unvaccinated adults die each year from preventable diseases
Financial barriers, insurance, communication among problems
AURORA, Colo. (Feb. 4, 2014) – While adults make up 95 percent of those who die annually from vaccine preventable diseases, a new study from the University of Colorado School of Medicine shows their vaccination rates remain stubbornly low, representing a growing public health concern.
The study, published recently in the Annals of Internal Medicine, is the first to examine several important aspects of adult vaccination. Every year, 30,000 people on average die of vaccine preventable illnesses, almost all of them adult.
"Our study suggests that missed opportunities for adult vaccination are common because vaccination status is not being assessed at every (physician's) visit, which is admittedly an ambitious goal," said Laura Hurley, MD, MPH lead author of the study and an assistant professor of medicine at the CU School of Medicine. "Also, most physicians are not stocking all recommended vaccines."
Recent estimates show only 62 to 65 percent of adults aged 65 and older received a pneumococcal or influenza vaccine respectively; just 20 percent of high risk adults between 19 and 64 received a pneumococcal vaccine and only 16 percent of those 60 and older got their herpes zoster (shingles) vaccination.
Hurley and her fellow researchers designed a national survey of primary care physicians in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looking at how doctors assessed vaccination status and stocked the 11 recommended adult vaccines in 2012.
"Physicians reported a variety of barriers to vaccine stocking and administration but financial barriers dominated the list," the study said. "Physicians in smaller, private practice often assume more risks from stocking expensive vaccine inventories and may be particularly affected by these financial barriers."
According to Hurley, who also practices at Denver Health, many doctors expressed difficulty getting reimbursed by insurance for vaccines.
For example, the herpes zoster vaccine has been recommended since 2008 but is not widely stocked by physicians. One major reason for this, the study says, is that zoster is covered by Medicare Part D, a pharmaceutical benefit, and physicians report problems with reimbursement. At the same time, the vaccine can require substantial out-of-pocket costs for patients, making it less attractive to them as well.
As a result of these difficulties, many physicians are referring patients to pharmacies or public health facilities for vaccinations.
"The most commonly reported reasons for referring patients elsewhere for vaccines included insurance not covering the vaccine," the study said.
There were also problems coordinating vaccine records when done by someone who is not the patient's primary care physician.
The study makes recommendations for improving the overall situation.
It suggests using Immunization Information Systems or IIS, a confidential database that records all vaccine doses administered by providers in a certain area. The system can allow doctors to know the vaccination status of their patients.
The authors point out that the Affordable Care Act addresses financial barriers to vaccination for privately insured patients by requiring insurers to cover recommended vaccines with no co-pays when delivered by in-network providers. There have also been recommendations for legislative action aimed at making Medicare Part D less of an obstacle to adult vaccinations.
"I feel we need to take a more systematic approach to this issue," Hurley said. "As the population ages this could easily grow into a more serious public health issue."
### END
Thousands of unvaccinated adults die each year from preventable diseases
Financial barriers, insurance, communication among problems
2014-02-04
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Study finds high Rx burden for bipolar patients
2014-02-04
A study of 230 patients with bipolar I disorder whose symptoms were severe enough to warrant admission to a Rhode Island psychiatric hospital in 2010 reveals that more than a third were there despite taking four ...
Carnegie Mellon model predicts growth, death of membership-based websites
2014-02-04
PITTSBURGH—Facebook, now celebrating its 10th anniversary, is a proven success in what the late Nobel laureate ...
Are you big pharma's new target market?
2014-02-04
This news release is available in French. Montreal, February 4, 2014 — By 2018, it is estimated that the global pharmaceutical ...
Where do lizards in Qatar live? First distribution maps for the state
2014-02-04
The state of Qatar occupies a small peninsula of 11,500 km2 within the Arabian Peninsula. Both Qatar's population and economy have increased rapidly during the last decades, thus putting ...
In vitro innovation: Testing nanomedicine with blood cells on a microchip
2014-02-04
Designing nanomedicine to combat diseases is a hot area of scientific research, primarily for treating cancer, but very little is known in the context of atherosclerotic disease. ...
How safe is the enemy of a citrus-threatening pest?
2014-02-04
RIVERSIDE, Calif. — The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) can spread the lethal and ...
Dartmouth study provides first evidence of common brain code for space, time, distance
2014-02-04
A new Dartmouth study provides the first evidence that people use the same brain circuitry to figure out space, time and social distances.
The findings, which help reveal ...
Stock prices are predictable
2014-02-04
A new study from the University of Iowa shows evidence that stock price movements are, in fact, predictable during short windows.
The study by researchers in ...
Research: It's more than just the science
2014-02-04
When putting together a team of scientists to work on a problem, it makes sense to bring together the best and brightest in the field, right?
Well, maybe not.
In a newly published paper, a team of researchers from ...
Researchers discover new hormone receptors to target when treating breast cancer
2014-02-04
Boston, MA – According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, breast cancer ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Less intensive works best for agricultural soil
Arctic rivers project receives “national champion” designation from frontiers foundation
Computational biology paves the way for new ALS tests
Study offers new hope for babies born with opioid withdrawal syndrome
UT, Volkswagen Group of America celebrate research partnership
New Medicare program could dramatically improve affordability for cancer drugs – if patients enroll
Are ‘zombie’ skin cells harmful or helpful? The answer may be in their shapes
University of Cincinnati Cancer Center presents research at AACR 2025
Head and neck, breast, lung and survivorship studies headline Dana-Farber research at AACR Annual Meeting 2025
AACR: Researchers share promising results from MD Anderson clinical trials
New research explains why our waistlines expand in middle age
Advancements in muon detection: Taishan Antineutrino Observatory's innovative top veto tracker
Chips off the old block
Microvascular decompression combined with nerve combing for atypical trigeminal neuralgia
Cutting the complexity from digital carpentry
Lung immune cell type “quietly” controls inflammation in COVID-19
Fiscal impact of expanded Medicare coverage for GLP-1 receptor agonists to treat obesity
State and sociodemographic trends in US cigarette smoking with future projections
Young adults drive historic decline in smoking
NFCR congratulates Dr. Robert C. Bast, Jr. on receiving the AACR-Daniel D. Von Hoff Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and Training in Cancer Research
Chimpanzee stem cells offer new insights into early embryonic development
This injected protein-like polymer helps tissues heal after a heart attack
FlexTech inaugural issue launches, pioneering interdisciplinary innovation in flexible technology
In Down syndrome mice, 40Hz light and sound improve cognition, neurogenesis, connectivity
Methyl eugenol: potential to inhibit oxidative stress, address related diseases, and its toxicological effects
A vascularized multilayer chip reveals shear stress-induced angiogenesis in diverse fluid conditions
AI helps unravel a cause of Alzheimer's disease and identify a therapeutic candidate
Coalition of Autism Scientists critiques US Department of Health and Human Services Autism Research Initiative
Structure dictates effectiveness, safety in nanomedicine
Mission accomplished for the “T2T” Hong Kong Bauhinia Genome Project
[Press-News.org] Thousands of unvaccinated adults die each year from preventable diseasesFinancial barriers, insurance, communication among problems