LATEBREAKER
Aging
Bridging the Immunization Gap: Insights into Vaccine Coverage Among Canada’s Aging Population Hussein Samhat* Hussein Samhat Arlanna Pugh Anna Maria Frescura Stephen Cule Marwa Ebrahim Julie Laroche
Background: The demographic shift towards an aging global population, coupled with immunosenescence—the weakening of the immune system with age—heightens older adults’ risk of infectious diseases. Vaccination can be a crucial strategy for promoting healthy aging and preventing disease. Yet, despite vaccination’s proven benefits, coverage for key vaccines like pneumococcal, tetanus, pertussis, and shingles (herpes zoster) among seniors (≥ 65 years) in Canada is notably low.
Methods: We analyzed data on 2,686 seniors from the 2023 Adult National Immunization Coverage Survey (accessed Jan 17, 2024). We adjusted survey weights for selection probability to ensure the sample’s representativeness to the Canadian population. We computed weighted descriptive statistics, including frequencies and proportions for vaccine coverage. To ensure precise estimates, we utilized bootstrap weights and Wilson’s method for confidence interval calculations, accounting for the survey’s complex design and inherent sample variability.
Results: Preliminary findings revealed vaccine coverage rates among seniors: 54.1% [95% CI: 52.2, 56.0] for shingles, 73.9% [72.1, 75.5] for tetanus given in the last 10 years, 30.3% [28.4, 32.3] for pertussis (booster dose), and 54.7% [52.8, 56.6] for pneumococcal vaccine (one dose). Coverage varied significantly by demographics and attitudes towards vaccines, with higher estimates being reported with greater income, higher education, urban residency, being a woman, and positive attitudes. Ethnic disparities were evident, with Black seniors having the lowest coverage for tetanus and pneumococcal, Indigenous for shingles, and East/Southeast Asian for pertussis.
Conclusion: The study underscores the need for targeted public health strategies to bridge vaccine coverage gaps among seniors in Canada, emphasizing the importance of increasing awareness, improving access, and overcoming vaccine hesitancy to boost health and longevity in Canada’s aging population.