Shingles vaccination rate among older adults has increased fivefold

The percentage of older adults who received a shingles vaccine in the past decade increased by nearly fivefold, according to new CDC data. The disease, which can affect all age groups, poses a higher risk to older individuals. In 2008, around 7% of those aged 60 and over had been vaccinated against shingles, but that increased to nearly 35% by 2018. For the majority of that decade, those over the age of 70 were more likely to have gotten a shingle vaccine than those ages 60-69. And although there were no discernible differences in vaccination rates between females and males, about twice the proportion of older white adults were likely to be vaccinated than Hispanic or Black individuals.