Study: People may have missed millions of routine vaccinations
As Americans get vaccinated against the coronavirus, a report published Wednesday found teens and adults may have missed millions of routine vaccinations recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2020.
The study, commissioned by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and conducted by Avalere Health, analyzed vaccine claims from January through November 2020 and compared them with the same time frame in 2019.
Researchers found teens and adults may have missed more than 26 million doses of recommended vaccines in 2020, which includes 8.8 million missed adolescent vaccines and 17.2 million missed adult vaccine doses.
“Millions of people have been immunized to protect against COVID, but many are missing protection against other diseases,” said Leonard Friedland, vice president and director of scientific affairs and public health at GSK Vaccines. “As life returns to normal, we must prioritize getting individuals caught up on their missed vaccines.”
Vaccine claims were up to 35% lower for teens in 2020 compared with 2019, and claims for adults were up to 40% lower.
Despite public health warnings of a possible “twindemic,” in which hospitals could be overrun by both coronavirus and influenza infections, flu vaccination rates decreased in 2020.
According to the study, flu vaccination claims from August to September 2020 exceeded the same months in 2019. The surges leveled off by October, leaving total claims from September to November 2020 up to 35% lower compared with 2019.
The study analyzed only vaccine claims across commercial, managed Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and
Medicare fee-for-service part B markets, so vaccinations at pharmacies and other types of insurance claims were not included. Neha Vyas said the data results track closely with her experience at the Cleveland Clinic as a family medicine physician.
The CDC recommends adults get vaccinated against pneumonia, shingles and hepatitis A, while teens should be vaccinated against certain types of meningitis and the human papillomavirus (HPV). Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (Tdap), as well as an annual flu shot, are recommended by the agency for teens and adults.
Other vaccines analyzed by the study researchers included shots for haemophilus influenzae (Hib), hepatitis B, chickenpox and measles, mumps and rubella (MMR).
It’s not too late to get these vaccinations, Vyas said. The CDC updated guidance May 14, dropping an earlier recommendation people wait at least 14 days between receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and any other vaccine.
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