OBJECTIVES: It is currently recommended in the United States for all older adults, 65 years and older, to receive a pneumococcal vaccine (PNV) to reduce the burden of pneumococcal disease. However, PNV uptake failed to meet the Healthy People 2020 goal overall with disproportionately lower rates among minority races and ethnicities. The objective of the study was to examine the trends and gaps in PNV uptake among older adults in the United States.

METHODS: We assessed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) AdultVaxView data, which collects information through Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) interviews of adults 18 years and older. We examined PNV trends specifically among those 65 years and older, who received any PNV from 2008 to 2022. Subgroups were stratified by self-reported race (Hispanic, Black/Non-Hispanic, White/Non-Hispanic, Other/Multiple Races/Non-Hispanic) to further identify trends in vaccine uptake among older adults.

RESULTS: Over two million responses were collected between 2008 and 2022. PNV uptake rate increased in the study period from 65.8 per 100 persons (CI 65.3-66.3) in 2008 to 70.0 per 100 persons (69.4-70.5) in 2022, peaking at 74.7 per 100 in 2017. When stratified by race, this increase was mainly driven by Black/Non-Hispanics, Other/Multiple Races and Hispanic older adults compared to White/Non-Hispanics. However, in 2022, Hispanics and Black/Non-Hispanics had PNV rates of 57.7 per 100 persons (54.3-61.1) and 63.2 per 100 persons (61.0-65.3) respectively, which were significantly less than White/Non-Hispanics at 72.7 per 100 (72.1-73.2); this hierarchy was maintained through the 15-year study period.

CONCLUSIONS: While the rate of PNV uptake increased since 2008 among those 65 years and older, rates have plateaued in recent years. Racial and ethnic disparities in PNV uptake persisted throughout the study period, highlighting the need to further investigate these differences.