Generally speaking, from the age of 65, and even in healthy people, the body defends itself less well against viruses. It is therefore important to make the habit of getting vaccinated every year from this age.
As such, every year, campaigns for the vaccination of the elderly are set up by government authorities… But nevertheless, the vaccination rates among those over 65 remain relatively low in France, deplores the National Academy of medicine in a recent press release.
Despite the annual coverage by Health Insurance of vaccination against seasonal flu and Covid-19, and despite the regular updating of the vaccination schedule by the Ministry of Health, the recommendations are poorly followed and vaccination coverage of seniors stagnating at a low level for the different vaccines…
Against the flu: a little more than half of seniors with 54%, against Covid-19: 30%, against pneumococcus: 5% and against shingles: 4% indicates Santé Publique France.
Another point highlighted: during the current severe flu epidemic, a large majority (79%) of people hospitalized in intensive care during the first week of January 2025 were not vaccinated.
Vaccination coverage for seniors depends, first of all, on the attending physician who plays a pivotal role. This requires, on their part, a good knowledge of new vaccines, their safety of use and the evolution of vaccination recommendations.
The limited time of an elderly person’s medical consultation, already largely devoted to monitoring chronic illnesses, also works against the attention paid to vaccination. In addition, the isolation of certain elders and the lack of coordination between different health actors can add a factor of confusion with regard to the implementation of vaccination.
In this context, the National Academy of Medicine recommends that vaccination of seniors becomes a priority public health objective, because it increases the length of active and independent life, avoids serious forms and complications of target diseases as well as the decline functional post-infection, reduces the economic burden linked to them, maintains group immunity and helps fight against antibiotic resistance.
Comment ?
– Implement a national prevention policy and consider five target diseases as priorities in the vaccination program for seniors: flu, Covid-19, pneumococcal and RSV infections, shingles;
– Encourage doctors, but also pharmacists and nurses, to update the vaccination status of elderly patients, based on the new recommendations from the HAS;
– Never consider that it is too late to vaccinate an elderly person, as the effects of immunosenescence can be overcome by the use of new vaccines or new vaccination schedules;
– Make vaccination accessible for elderly people residing in retirement homes, APA beneficiaries living at home, living far from care centers, by developing, according to the “go towards” principle, mobile vaccination teams;
– Expand the use of the digital vaccination record to the entire population and seize any opportunity to update vaccinations for seniors: consultations, hospitalizations, trips abroad, vaccination campaigns;
– Accompany these measures with an effort to significantly increase the vaccination coverage rate among health professionals and assistance to people working in contact with the elderly, particularly against influenza and against Covid-19, and above all during epidemic periods.
Remember that certain infections constitute an increasingly heavy national medical and economic burden among people aged 65 and over, due to immunosenescence (decline of immune functions).
These include seasonal influenza, Covid-19, pneumococcal or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections, and shingles. More than 90% of deaths attributable to influenza or Covid-19 occur after 65 years old. Pneumococcal and RSV infections cause high morbidity and mortality in this age group.
Among seniors, the risk of cardiovascular accidents is significantly increased in the weeks following a respiratory infection.
The functional decline observed after influenza, Covid-19 or pneumococcal infection, with progressive loss of autonomy, represents the sixth cause of disability among elderly people.
After age 70, the prevalence of shingles exceeds 10 p.1000, accompanied by frequent painful complications that impair quality of life for several months.
