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. 2022 Nov 30;18(5):2054602.
doi: 10.1080/21645515.2022.2054602. Epub 2022 Apr 21.

Burden of vaccine-preventable diseases among at-risk adult populations in the US

Irina Kolobova  1 , Mawuli Kwame Nyaku  1 , Anna Karakusevic  2 , Daisy Bridge  2 , Iain Fotheringham  2 , Megan O'Brien  1
Affiliations

Burden of vaccine-preventable diseases among at-risk adult populations in the US

Irina Kolobova et al. Hum Vaccin Immunother. .

Abstract

Life-course immunization holds significant benefit for population health by reducing the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases (VPD) through vaccinating individuals at different stages and circumstances in life. The study aimed to determine the epidemiologic, clinical, economic, and societal burden of VPDs among at-risk adult subpopulations in the United States. A systematic literature review was conducted for articles published between January 2010 and June 2020, which identified 72 publications. There was heterogeneity in available epidemiology data, with the prevalence of VPDs ranging from 1.1% to 68.7%. Where the disease burden was described, outcomes were typically worse among high-risk subpopulations than in the general population. Several VPDs, including herpes zoster, meningococcal, and pneumococcal infections were associated with increased costs. This review suggests that subpopulations may not frequently interact with the healthcare system, or their risk factors may not be recognized by healthcare providers, and therefore individuals may not be appropriately targeted for vaccination.

Keywords: Vaccine-Preventable diseases; at-risk population; disease burden; life-course immunization; population health; public health.

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Conflict of interest statement

IK, MKN, and MOB are employees of Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA and may own stocks and/or stock options in Merck & Co, Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA. AK, DB, and IF are employees of Adelphi Values PROVE™. Adelphi Values PROVE™ was compensated by Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA for the conduct of the study and development of the manuscript.

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Figure 1.
Figure 1.
PRISMA diagram.
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