James McSpadden is a senior policy advisor at the AARP Public Policy Institute, where his areas of expertise include prescription drug access and utilization. Read his full biography.
A recent AARP Public Policy Institute report found that influenza, pneumonia, and shingles vaccinations increased among adults ages 50 and older in 2020, though disparities continued.
Successful deprescribing (that is, reducing or eliminating certain drugs that may be causing harm) in the course of routine care may depend on strengthening and elevating the information that is available to consumers.
As facilities use the lessons learned to put in place policies and programs to continue delivering COVID-19 vaccines, they also should evaluate the quality and effectiveness of their influenza and pneumococcal immunization programs.
Now that we are reaching a point where the U.S. has an adequate supply of COVID-19 vaccines, officials must consider how to identify and reach older adults who remain unvaccinated, particularly those who want but have been unable to access a vaccine.
While the deployment of vaccines in nursing homes has largely been a success thus far, facilities are far from finishing this task. They must now enter a next phase of vaccination and confront a new set of issues.