Recognizing the Full Clinical and Economic Consequences of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases in Older Adults

Modern public health strategies are undergoing fundamental shifts as global populations age, and vaccination is on the front lines, transitioning from a traditional focus on the pediatric immunization model to a “life-course” vaccination paradigm. Part of this shift is an increased focus on the interaction between infectious disease, vaccination and the various comorbidities that are common in older populations. This narrative review considers recent key clinical, immunological, and health economic studies to discuss the importance of adult immunization to both individual health and the sustainability of healthcare systems and examines how changes in clinical trial design are changing health recommendations. Because the scope of the review touches on multiple fields, pivotal, heavily cited studies have been chosen to illustrate the changing political and scientific landscape of adult vaccination.