[The vaccination of older adults: a challenge for the future!]

Abstract

In developed countries, the population is getting older and the prevention of infectious diseases is therefore a major public health issue for elderly. Infectious diseases preventable by vaccination, including influenza, pneumococcal infection, pertussis, herpes zoster infections, and to a lesser extent, diphtheria and poliomyelitis, are direct or indirect causes of hospitalization. Few data are available on the proportion of vaccinated elderly, the impact of the under nutrition, or immunosenescence on the quality of the immune response to vaccination and the level of protection. The infectious diseases preventable by vaccination are considered in this article, and the epidemic risk related to infectious diseases in older adults living in community, the specific vaccine recommendations, the vaccines available in France, the vaccine coverage of elderly, factors interfering with vaccine response, and future prospects in this area.