Anastassopoulou Cleo, Ferous Stefanos, Medić Snežana, Siafakas Nikolaos, Boufidou Fotini, Gioula Georgia, Tsakris Athanasios
Department of Microbiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece.
Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia.
Vaccines (Basel). 2024 May 22;12(6):566. doi: 10.3390/vaccines12060566.
The share of the elderly population is growing worldwide as life expectancy increases. Immunosenescence and comorbidities increase infectious diseases' morbidity and mortality in older adults. Here, we aimed to summarize the latest findings on vaccines for the elderly against herpes zoster, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), COVID-19, and pneumococcal disease and to examine vaccine recommendation differences for this age group in Europe and the United States. PubMed was searched using the keywords "elders" and "vaccine" alongside the disease/pathogen in question and paraphrased or synonymous terms. Vaccine recommendations were also sought in the European and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention databases. Improved vaccines, tailored for the elderly, mainly by using novel adjuvants or by increasing antigen concentration, are now available. Significant differences exist between immunization policies, especially between European countries, in terms of the recipient's age, number of doses, vaccination schedule, and implementation (mandatory or recommended). Understanding the factors that influence the immune response to vaccination in the elderly may help to design vaccines that offer long-term protection for this vulnerable age group. A consensus-based strategy in Europe could help to fill the gaps in immunization policy in the elderly, particularly regarding vaccination against RSV and pneumococcus.
随着预期寿命的增加，全球老年人口的比例正在上升。免疫衰老和合并症增加了老年人感染性疾病的发病率和死亡率。在此，我们旨在总结针对老年人的带状疱疹、流感、呼吸道合胞病毒（RSV）、新冠病毒病和肺炎球菌疾病疫苗的最新研究结果，并探讨欧洲和美国该年龄组疫苗推荐的差异。使用关键词“老年人”和“疫苗”以及相关疾病/病原体及其释义或同义词在PubMed上进行检索。还在欧洲和美国疾病控制与预防中心数据库中查找疫苗推荐信息。现在已有主要通过使用新型佐剂或增加抗原浓度为老年人量身定制的改良疫苗。在免疫政策方面，尤其是欧洲国家之间，在接种对象年龄、剂量数、接种时间表和实施方式（强制或推荐）方面存在显著差异。了解影响老年人疫苗免疫反应的因素可能有助于设计出能为这一脆弱年龄组提供长期保护的疫苗。欧洲基于共识的策略有助于填补老年人免疫政策方面的空白，特别是在针对RSV和肺炎球菌的疫苗接种方面。
