Study on Infrequency of Adult Shots Stings a Lot

Jan 24, 06:20 PM

Jan. 24--Vaccines are only as good as how many people receive them, so public health leaders are dismayed at the number of adults forgoing protection from potentially deadly

diseases.

Everyone seems to know about flu shots, even if they skip them.

But shots for shingles, pneumonia, whooping cough and human papillomavirus are reaching few Americans, many of whom don't even know the vaccines exist, said Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

A national survey performed last summer shows that about 2 percent of older Americans are being protected against shingles. The disease is caused by the same virus (herpes zoster) that causes chickenpox, and it emerges in those who already had chickenpox.

The survey also showed that 2 percent of eligible Americans had received a whooping cough booster shot, about 10 percent of eligible women and girls had received the HPV vaccine, and fewer than 70 percent of older adults had their flu and pneumonia shots.

"We are at the infancy of having a strong adult immunization program," Schuchat said yesterday.

The whooping cough booster, HPV vaccine and shingles vaccine are all relatively new, which could explain the low coverage rates.

But some of the problem is cost and access, said Kathy Papp, director of wellness services for LifeCare Alliance.

Not all insurers cover the vaccines, and not all doctors are stocking them. Shingles vaccine, in particular, requires storage in a freezer and costs more than $200, she said. She said seniors should check with their insurers to see whether they are covered for specific vaccines and should call their doctors in advance to see if they stock them.

If not, they are available at LifeCare Alliance and through public health clinics. They might require out-of-pocket payment.

Shingles can be extremely painful, even debilitating, and the vaccine is highly effective, Papp said.

More than half of those 85 or older will develop shingles, said Dr. Michael Oxman, professor of medicine and pathology at the University of California, San Diego.

Debbie Coleman, assistant Columbus health commissioner, said she thinks the HPV message is starting to get out, and the vaccine is becoming more widely available.

But most older adults think only of flu and tetanus shots, she said, and the same might be true of their doctors, only some of whom stock all available vaccines.

Even at the lower rates offered to public health departments, shots can be expensive, Coleman said. The full three-shot HPV vaccination costs about $500. The shingles vaccine costs $160, pneumonia $65 and the whooping cough booster $60.

Another obstacle is that adults don't often go to the doctor for prevention, only for acute problems.

mcrane@dispatch.com

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