Vaccination in old age: an overview

Z Gerontol Geriatr. 2023 Dec;56(8):679-687. doi: 10.1007/s00391-023-02265-1. Epub 2023 Dec 5.ABSTRACTVaccinations against infectious diseases are a highly effective preventive measure, especially in old age due to the higher susceptibility to infections. As the effectiveness of vaccinations decreases in old age due to immune senescence but also due to comorbidities, specific, more immunogenic vaccines have been developed for this target group. In Germany, the Standing Commission on Vaccination (STIKO) publishes annually updated vaccination recommendations also specifically for the 60+ years age group. Since 2018, standard vaccinations for this group have included herpes zoster vaccination with adjuvanted inactivated vaccine. Since 2021, the use of the quadrivalent influenza high-dose vaccine is recommended for this age group. Currently, the annual COVID-19 vaccination and the single pneumococcal vaccination with the new 20-valent conjugate vaccine have been added as standard vaccinations. The free STIKO app provides an always up to date overview of standard and indicated vaccinations for all age groups.PMID:38051357 | DOI:10.1007/s00391-023-02265-1
Source: Zeitschrift fur Gerontologie und Geriatrie - Category: Geriatrics Authors: Source Type: research