Lowered Pneumococcal Vaccination Age Has Yet to Close Awareness Gap

Pharmacists know the pneumococcal vaccine landscape has been shifting fast, and one of the biggest changes has been ACIP’s decision to lower the recommended vaccination age from 65 to 50.

According to Paul Licciardi, PhD, group leader of vaccine immunology at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, the move reflects a growing recognition that disease burden climbs steadily after age 50. This highlights a shift driven in part by the success of infant vaccination programs, which have reduced pneumococcal circulation among children and left adults carrying more of the burden.

“I think it’s just owing to that increasing recognition of the burden of disease,” he told Drug Topics®. “With the infant vaccination program really reducing prevalence of pneumonia and the circulation of the pneumococcal bacteria, actually, the adults are now the ones that are bearing a lot of the disease burden. Globally, there’s an increase in recognition to start [vaccinating adults] a bit earlier.”

But expanding eligibility hasn’t translated into expanded protection. Licciardi points to a persistent gap in vaccination rates among the newly eligible 50-64 group, one he attributes less to outright hesitancy and more to a lack of awareness. Many patients simply don’t know that bacterial pneumonia is a serious risk, combined with missed opportunities to raise the topic during routine care at pharmacies and beyond.

For pharmacists, that gap represents a real opportunity: Every patient interaction is a chance to check vaccination status and start the conversation.

Watch the full video and see how a vaccination expert unpacks the data behind this policy shift and what pharmacists can do to help close the awareness gap. Also, stay tuned for more insights on the pneumococcal vaccination space from our conversation with Licciardi.

READ MORE: Pneumococcal Resource Center