Vaccine co-administration in adults: An effective way to improve vaccination coverage

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic highlights that complications and mortality associated with infectious diseases increase with age. Various vaccines are recommended for adults, but coverage rates remain suboptimal. Although co-administration would improve vaccine uptake and timely immunization, this is not routine practice in adults. We review key data on co-administration of vaccines in children and adults to reassure healthcare providers about its safety and advantages. In European countries and the United States, combined tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis boosters as well as meningococcal and human papillomavirus vaccines are recommended for healthy adolescents and adults of certain ages. Vaccination against influenza (annually), pneumococcal disease, and herpes zoster is recommended for older adults and specific risk groups. While co-administration is well established in children, it is less common in adults. Travelers can also receive multiple co-administered vaccines. Pediatric and travel vaccine co-administration has a well-established positive benefit-risk profile and is an efficient and cost-saving strategy to improve coverage. Healthcare providers could more often recommend and practice vaccine co-administration; this would not risk patient safety and health, would improve protection against vaccine-preventable diseases, and would help comply with national vaccination calendars. Recommending bodies may consider revising vaccination schedules to reduce the number of visits.

Automated summary

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has revealed that complications and mortality rates from infectious diseases are higher among older individuals. Vaccination coverage for adults remains low despite the availability of various vaccines. Co-administration of vaccines in adults is not a common practice, although it could improve vaccine uptake and timely immunization. This review examines the safety and advantages of co-administering vaccines in children and adults, particularly in the context of tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis, meningococcal, human papillomavirus, influenza, pneumococcal disease, and herpes zoster vaccines. Co-administration of vaccines in children and travelers has been proven to be a cost-saving strategy that improves coverage, and healthcare providers should consider recommending and practicing this approach in order to enhance protection against vaccine-preventable diseases and comply with national vaccination schedules.