Pneumococcal Vaccines Are Key for Older Adults Beginning at Age 50!
For years, NANASP has advocated for access to vaccines for older Americans beginning at age 50, which has only grown more important as we navigated through the COVID-19 pandemic.
The good news is that in October 2024, the ACIP voted in favor of lowering the age-based recommendation for the pneumococcal vaccine to those aged 50 and older. The CDC now recommends a routine pneumococcal vaccine for all adults age 50 and over to help protect against pneumococcal disease. This vaccine is not an annual vaccine and can be administered at any time during the year.
Now, it’s even more important that individuals have specific conversations with their health care provider about what vaccines they need and when.
Did you know? The pneumococcal vaccine can be administered with other age-appropriate doses of vaccines such as the influenza or shingles vaccines at the same time during a health care visit.
UPDATES OCTOBER 23, 2024 "CDC Recommends lowering the age for Pneumococcal Vaccination from 65 to 50 Years" Read the CDC's statement here. NANASP IN THE NEWS OCTOBER 21, 2024| NBC News NANASP Executive Director Bob Blancato spoke with reporter, Erika Edwards of NBC News. Read the online article here. OCTOBER 21, 2024| RHODE ISLAND NEWS TODAY NANASP Executive Director Bob Blancato spoke with Herb Weiss, Rhode Island News Today on NANASP's efforts to lower the age-based recommendation for the pneumonia vaccine. The article features NANASP's letter co-led by NCBA and NHCOA joined by 20 signers. View the article here. OCTOBER 20, 2024 | WBAL-AM NANASP Executive Director Bob Blancato joined Jerry Rogers on his weekly radio show on WBAL-AM, the local Baltimore radio station. Listen to the radio show here. OCTOBER 4, 2024| FOX DC NANASP Executive Director Bob Blancato spoke live with Marina Marraco and Joe Clair, anchors of FOX DC’s local streaming show “The DMZ Zone”. View the interview here. |
NANASP'S ADVOCACY EFFORTS
OCTOBER 24, 2024
Yesterday, our collective voices were heard and the CDC’s ACIP voted in favor of lowering the age-based routine recommendation for the pneumonia vaccines to age 50 and older. This is a policy that for years so many of us have supported and advocated for and we should all be proud of this achievement. Read a statement from NANASP Executive Director Bob Blancato here.
OCTOBER 15, 2024
See our letter to the CDC NANASP co-led with the National Caucus and Center on Black Aging and the National Hispanic Council on Aging.