Vaccines Show Efficacy, Safety in Preventing Diseases | APhA 2025
Kelly Goode, PharmD, BCPS, FAPhA, FCCP, professor in the department of pharmacotherapy and outcomes science at Virginia Commonwealth University, discusses the current landscape of immunization recommendations.
Kelly Goode, PharmD, BCPS, FAPhA, FCCP, professor in the department of pharmacotherapy and outcomes science at Virginia Commonwealth University, highlighted the ongoing challenges of vaccine-preventable diseases in the United States, with staggering statistics revealing significant gaps in vaccination coverage. Influenza alone accounts for 43 million cases this year, with less than half of US adults vaccinated. Other vaccine-preventable diseases continue to pose public health risks, including varicella, hepatitis B, cervical cancer, pertussis, and measles, demonstrating the critical need for comprehensive vaccination strategies.
The 2024-2025 vaccine recommendations bring several key updates across multiple vaccines. For influenza, the universal recommendation remains for everyone 6 months and older, with preferential high-dose vaccines for those 65 and over. COVID-19 vaccination is universally recommended, with additional doses suggested for older and immunocompromised populations. Pneumococcal vaccine guidelines now recommend PCV20 or PCV21 for individuals 50 and older, with nuanced recommendations for different age groups and risk factors.
Goode focused on emerging vaccines and vaccination challenges. New vaccines include respiratory syncytial virus vaccines with age- and risk-based recommendations, a pentavalent meningococcal vaccine, and platforms like mRNA-based vaccines. She emphasized the critical role of pharmacists in addressing vaccine hesitancy through strong recommendations and motivational interviewing techniques. Vaccine recommendation delays can create confusion, impact public health planning, and potentially cause vaccine shortages.
The ongoing measles outbreak in Texas, which has spread to multiple states and resulted in a child's death, underscores the importance of vaccination. Most outbreak cases involved unvaccinated individuals, reinforcing the message that vaccine-preventable diseases are just a "plane ride away." Pharmacists are urged to play a proactive role in public health by staying informed about vaccine recommendations, making confident recommendations, and helping patients understand the importance of timely vaccination.
"It's important to continue to keep up on vaccine recommendations and to make that strong recommendation," Goode said. "I can't stress [enough], especially for our adult patients, pharmacists play a huge role in delivering vaccines to arms and protecting the public, and so making that strong recommendation is really important."
