Study: Too Many Adults Skip Vaccinations

(CBS/AP)  Vaccines aren't just for kids, but far too few grown-ups are rolling up their sleeves, disappointed federal health officials reported Wednesday.

The numbers of newly vaccinated are surprisingly low, considering how much public attention a trio of new shots - which protect against shingles, whooping cough and cervical cancer - received in recent years.

Yet many seem to have missed, or forgotten, the news: A survey by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases found that aside from the flu, most adults have trouble even naming diseases that they could prevent with a simple inoculation.

"There are not yet very many adults taking full advantage of the great advancements in prevention that have been made in the past few years," said Dr. Anne Schuchat of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "By skipping vaccination, people are leaving themselves needlessly vulnerable to significant illness, long-term suffering and even death."

The new CDC report found:

Only about 2 percent of Americans 60 and older received a vaccine against shingles in its first year of sales. Yet there are more than 1 million new cases of shingles, an excruciating rite of aging, each year. Up to 200,000 shingles sufferers get a particularly bad type of nerve pain that can persist for months or even years. Anyone who ever had chickenpox is at risk, especially once they hit their 60s.

About 2 percent of adults ages 18 to 64 got a booster shot against whooping cough in the two years since it hit the market. The cough so strong it can break a rib is making a big comeback, because the vaccine given to babies and toddlers starts wearing off by adolescence. Older patients usually recover, but whooping cough can cause weeks of misery. Worse, those people can easily spread the illness to not-yet-vaccinated infants, who are at risk of dying from the bacterial infection, also called pertussis. The booster was added to another shot long recommended for adults, a combination booster against tetanus and diphtheria. The new triple combo is called "Tdap."

About 10 percent of women ages 18 to 26 have received at least one dose of a three-shot series that protects against the human papillomavirus, or HPV, that causes cervical cancer.

There are several reasons such a small percentage of adults get vaccinated, according to CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook. Among those are cost, availability and accessibility -- which has to do with how many doctors readily offer the vaccines.

"Doctors have a tendency to hold back for the first year or so to see if any side effects pop out," LaPook said. "If you're a doctor, you don't want to adopt it too soon; you don't want to adopt it too late."

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Learn more at Couric & Co. Blog: Adults, Give It A Shot!

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Price has to be part of the reason: The shingles shot costs around $150, and the three-shot HPV vaccine about $300, and insurance coverage varies. There's no national program to guarantee access for adults who can't afford vaccines as there is for child vaccines.

But cost can't be the main reason: Adults aren't taking full advantage of some inexpensive standby vaccines, either. CDC found that just 69 percent of seniors get the flu shot; 66 percent have had a one-time pneumonia vaccine; and 44 percent had received a tetanus shot in the past 10 years.

Supply, also can be a deterrent. In recent years, some areas of the country have had flu vaccine shortages, though this year there was no shortage, LaPook said.
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[rowlante]

Your story about the shingles vaccine left out a few key details. In the story, Dr. LaPook describes the vaccine as "effective." However, it is really only about 55% effective in preventing shingles. Compared to other vaccines that have 90% or greater efficacy, that is terrible. Also, you mentioned that doctors aren''t familiar with it so they aren''t offering it to their patients. However, the vast majority of patients for whom the vaccine is indicated are insured by medicare. Medicare will not pay for the cost of the vaccine. Therefore, patients will get stuck with a $230 bill if they choose to get the vaccine.

I would love to have all my patients 60 and older receive the vaccine. However, after I let them know that it costs $230 and it''s only 55% effective, they usually decline.

That is why only 2% of eligible adults have received the vaccine.

[garbosmed]

EBANON, N.H. %u2014 A lead researcher who spent 20 years developing the vaccine for humanpapilloma virus says the HPV vaccine is not for younger girls, and that it is "silly" for states to be mandating it for them.

Not only that, she says it''s not been tested for effectiveness in younger girls, and administering the vaccine to girls as young as 9 may not even protect them at all. And, in the worst-case scenario, instead of serving to reduce the numbers of cervical cancers within 25 years, such a vaccination crusade actually could cause the numbers to go up.

"Giving it to 11-year-olds is a great big public health experiment," said Diane M. Harper, who is a scientist, physician, professor and the director of the Gynecologic Cancer Prevention Research Group at the Norris Cotton Cancer Center at Dartmouth Medical School in New Hampshire.

"It is silly to mandate vaccination of 11- to 12-year-old girls There also is not enough evidence gathered on side effects to know that safety is not an issue."

[garbosmed]

The European Medicines Agency (EMEA) said one of the young women who received Gardasil died in Germany while the other was in Austria. It has not released their ages.

It follows the deaths of three young women aged 12, 19 and 22 who were reported to have died in the U.S. days after Gardasil was administered, with 1,700 patients suffering "adverse reactions". There were no previous recorded deaths in Europe.

[garbosmed]

Why would I go get a flu shot and inject toxic mercury, formaldehyde, antifreeze and who knows what else into my body on purpose? I''m a healthy adult. If someone coughs on me and I get the flu, I''ll be sick for a week, have some cold medicine and chicken soup, drink lots of fluids, and get better. Unless you are elderly or immune compromised, the flu is no big deal. And the shot doesn''t even work that well in the elderly. So, again, why exactly are we supposed to believe the CDC?

[blazercoach1]

Prayers aren''''''''t just for kids, but far too few grown-ups are bowing their heads, disappointed Saints reported Wednesday.

The numbers of newly offered prayers are surprisingly low, considering how much public attention a trio of new prayers - which protect against selfishness, impulsiveness, and dishonesty - received in recent years.

Yet many seem to have missed, or forgotten, the news: A survey by the National Foundation for Deadly Sins found that aside from lust, most adults have trouble even naming sins that they could prevent with a simple prayer.

"There are not yet very many adults taking full advantage of the great advancements in prevention that have been made in the past few years," said God. "By skipping prayer, people are leaving themselves needlessly vulnerable to soulful illness, long-term suffering and even spiritual death."

Isn''''''''t it frightening how science has made almost a one-for-one replacement for God? In whom do YOU trust?

[blazercoach1]

Prayers aren''''''''t just for kids, but far too few grown-ups are bowing their heads, disappointed Saints reported Wednesday.

The numbers of newly offered prayers are surprisingly low, considering how much public attention a trio of new prayers - which protect against selfishness, impulsiveness, and dishonesty - received in recent years.

Yet many seem to have missed, or forgotten, the news: A survey by the National Foundation for Deadly Sins found that aside from lust, most adults have trouble even naming sins that they could prevent with a simple prayer.

"There are not yet very many adults taking full advantage of the great advancements in prevention that have been made in the past few years," said God. "By skipping prayer, people are leaving themselves needlessly vulnerable to soulful illness, long-term suffering and even spiritual death."

Isn''''''''t it frightening how science has made almost a one-for-one replacement for God? In whom do YOU trust?

[blazercoach1]

Prayers aren''''t just for kids, but far too few grown-ups are bowing their heads, disappointed Saints reported Wednesday.

The numbers of newly offered prayers are surprisingly low, considering how much public attention a trio of new prayers - which protect against selfishness, impulsiveness, and dishonesty - received in recent years.

Yet many seem to have missed, or forgotten, the news: A survey by the National Foundation for Deadly Sins found that aside from lust, most adults have trouble even naming sins that they could prevent with a simple prayer.

"There are not yet very many adults taking full advantage of the great advancements in prevention that have been made in the past few years," said God. "By skipping prayer, people are leaving themselves needlessly vulnerable to soulful illness, long-term suffering and even spiritual death."

Isn''''t it frightening how science has made almost a one-for-one replacement for God? In whom do YOU trust?

[moleman--2008]

But zemoleman, no insurance doesn''''t mean I can''''t come up with 150 lousy bucks, once, if it means never going through that again. Having no insurance is an emergency if you get cancer/AIDS/paralysis/schizophrenia/etc. but sheesh, if you have a computer and Internet service then evidently you have disposable income so you can spend it on your health sometimes.

Posted by YohnVilson

It ain''t just the "$150 bucks". It costs lots of bucks here in NY just to get in to see the doctor if you don''t have insurance, so we''re talking closer to $400-500 just to get a shot. Given that most of us are still waiting to see any part of that $20 Billion Post-911 $$$ promised us, and that the NYC Metro area still hasn''t recovered economically from the attack, don''t run off at the mouth about what we can and can''t afford. Just keeping a roof over my head and paying my bills is about all I can handle--paying one of the many quacks around here $500 for a shot ain''t in the budget buddy.

[watcher269-2009]

Don''t trust the Shots - IT''S X-FILES ALL OVER AGAIN!

The shots contain - Mind Control Chemicals - Tracking chemicals.

These shots Genetically alter humans for Aliens - they want us for food!

It''s the Secret United Nations Sub-Government trying to control the world.


All I can say is have the Dr. LaPook get a new hair piece/wig - this one looks ridiculous on him.

Everyone should send him a bottle of hair dye.

[baileyccc]

Maybe the Public is so very aware of the mercury in these vaccines. Vaccines are for Big Pharma''s profit.