AGS initiative targets gaps in older adults' vaccination rates

Today, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) released a paper in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society detailing findings from the AGS Older Adults Vaccine (AGS OAV) Initiative (https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.70770). 

The American Geriatrics Society launched the Older Adults Vaccine Initiative (AGS OAV Initiative) in 2021, with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under a five-year financial assistance award to the Council of Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS) called Specialty Societies Advancing Older Adult Immunization (SSAAI). 

AGS partnered with seven health systems with the goal of improving vaccination rates for older adults in those systems. Together, the health systems demonstrated modest improvements in influenza and COVID-19 vaccination rates within the context of an overall decrease in national rates. The report in JAGS describes how health systems: (1) implemented multiple strategies to increase vaccination rates; (2) tailored strategies to the needs of their systems; and (3) layered in overlapping interventions strategies and interventions. 

AGS is committed to ensuring that we all have access to recommended vaccines and education about their role in ensuring our collective health and well-being as we age. In light of this commitment, AGS's dedicated OAV Initiative microsite, vaccines.agscocare.org, will remain available and be updated regularly, providing free access to the collection of resources developed through this effort to support improving vaccination rates among older adults. Resources include the AGS online educational curriculum on vaccines in older adults, podcasts, webinars, teaching slides, clinical assessment tools, and a portfolio of public education resources to help older adults and caregivers make informed decisions about recommended vaccines.