Vaccination in Older Adults: Cognitive and Physical Health Perspectives

Population aging currently represents a crucial challenge, making prevention a fundamental pillar in managing expenditures for global healthcare systems. Among these preventive measures, vaccination certainly stands out as a cornerstone of both prevention and healthy aging. This narrative review analyzes the available evidence on the effectiveness, safety, and implementation of vaccination strategies in the population aged over 65 years, with a specific focus on immunosenescence and its impact on functional abilities and dementia in older adults. The main vaccines recommended for older people (influenza, pneumococcus, herpes zoster, and COVID-19) were examined, evaluating their clinical efficacy, barriers to vaccine access, and the phenomenon of low vaccination rates. The data demonstrate that vaccination significantly reduces morbidity, mortality, and hospitalizations in this age group. Strategies to improve vaccine coverage include co-administration programs and targeted interventions to counter vaccine hesitancy. Vaccination of older adults constitutes a cost-effective intervention with both individual and collective benefits; however, challenges remain regarding the optimization of care, equity in access, and the need for internationally harmonized guidelines.