The proportions of older US adults vaccinated against influenza in the previous year and those ever vaccinated against pneumonia were lower in 2024 than in 2019, according to a report published today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) National Center for Health Statistics.

The authors used 2024 National Health Interview Survey responses to estimate the percentage of adults aged 65 years and older who received the flu and/or pneumonia vaccines by temporal trends and sociodemographic factors.

“Older adults face higher risks of certain diseases because immune systems tend to weaken with age, and they also are more likely to have other underlying health conditions,” they wrote. “The majority of deaths from flu and pneumonia occur in adults age 65 and older.” 

Differences by age-group, race

The percentages of older adults who received a flu vaccine in 2023 and who ever were vaccinated against pneumonia were lower in 2024 (67.1% and 64.7%, respectively) than in 2019 (70.5% and 67.0%, respectively). Rates of flu vaccine uptake were comparable in men (67.9%) and women (66.3%).

Flu vaccination rates were lowest among adults aged 65 to 74 years (62.6%) and higher among those aged 75 to 84 (71.9%) and 85 and older (75.3%). The proportion of older adults who ever received a pneumonia vaccine was 64.7% and was higher in women (66.7%) than in men (62.2%).

The majority of deaths from flu and pneumonia occur in adults age 65 and older.

White adults were more likely to have received a flu vaccine (68.0%) than those who were Black (63.2%) or Hispanic (61.7%). The proportion vaccinated against flu rose with increasing family income as a percentage of the federal poverty level (FPL), from 57.9% in people with incomes less than 100% FPL to 73.6% in those with incomes of 400% FPL or higher.

For pneumonia, women (66.7%) were more likely than men (62.2%) to have gotten vaccinated. Adults aged 65 to 74 years (57.9%) were less likely than those aged 75 to 84 (73.8%) or 85 and older (71.2%) to have done so.

White adults were more likely than their Black or Hispanic peers ever to have had a pneumonia vaccine (68.3% vs 54.6% vs 48.6%, respectively). The proportion of adults aged 65 and older who ever received a pneumonia vaccine climbed with increasing family income, from 51.1% in those with incomes less than 100% FPL to 70.3% in those with incomes of 400% FPL or more.