Seasonal Influenza in Older Adults: Immunization Challenges and Options for Vaccination Strategies

An online environment designed to promote, educate and share information about the burden of seasonal influenza and its presence in the United States.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this program, participants will be able to:
-Describe the pathophysiology, natural history, and clinical outcomes related to influenza in the adult population over 65 years.
-Describe the estimated burden of disease for adults over 65 years that can be attributed to influenza, and how it varies by demographics, presence of other health conditions, and social determinants.
-Summarize biological characteristics of this demographic with respect to the effectiveness and efficacy of influenza vaccines.
-Compare different types of influenza vaccines with respect to efficacy, effectiveness, efficiency, and equity (including estimated net benefits, and safety), with a focus on FDA-approved vaccines for use in older adults.
-Discuss potential policies/strategies to further protect older adults from influenza, i.e., by improving vaccine uptake in this population, and by immunization of health care providers and other close contacts.