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    Stronger systems. Healthier communities. One patient at a time.

    At GSK, we are committed to supporting health systems in their vaccination efforts, helping you protect your community, and improve population health.

     

    This web page offers information and resources for population health decision-makers on key topics related to improving vaccination rates, understanding the increasing role vaccines play in quality scores, reducing hospitalizations and readmissions, and identifying vaccine-eligible patients in health systems. Explore more below.

    VACCINE QUALITY MEASURES

     

    How do adult vaccination rates affect your CMS quality scores?

    The Adult Immunization Status (AIS) measure is gaining traction as a core HEDIS® quality measure, and it has been revised to include additional vaccines to report beyond pneumococcal and influenza vaccines.1-4,a

     

    The AIS measure assesses the proportion of adults who are up to date on influenza, herpes zoster (shingles), pneumococcal, Td or Tdap, and hepatitis B vaccinations.4

    As of 2025, the AIS measure is now:

    Search icon

    Part of the CMS Universal Foundation set, replacing the stand-alone influenza and pneumococcal vaccine measures2,5

    Ribbon icon

    Available for selection in Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and MIPS Value Pathways (MVP)5,6,b,c

    Star icon

    Included in the 2026 Medicare Star Ratings display page based on the 2024 measurement year3,d

    Beyond financial incentives, opting in to report the AIS measure can help your health system:

    • Meet CMS requirements for systems' vaccination rates5,6
    • Better understand your vaccination rates7
    • Identify gaps and address disparities in underserved populations7,8
    • Streamline reporting across value-based care programs9

     

    For more information on the benefits of the AIS measure and reporting requirements for MIPS, review the resources below.

    AIS flashcard PDF icon
    DOWNLOAD AIS FLASHCARD
    MIPS/AIS reporting PDF icon
    VIEW MIPS/AIS REPORTING

      ADULT VACCINATION RATES

       

      What percentage of adults are up to date with recommended vaccinations?

      Less than 25% of adults are up to date on routinely recommended vaccines (influenza, herpes zoster [shingles], pneumococcal, and Td or Tdap).16 Efforts to vaccinate can lead to fewer hospital admissions and readmissions for vaccine-preventable diseases, helping to alleviate the strain on health systems.17

      Estimated adult vaccination rates for CMS-monitored vaccines16,18,19,e

      Estimated vaccination rates chart
      United States icon

      Learn more about vaccination trends in your state.

      VISIT VACCINETRACK.COM

        AT-RISK POPULATIONS

         

        Which populations in your health system could be at risk for negative outcomes?

        1. Older adults

         

        Chances of hospitalization and readmission from vaccine-preventable diseases increase as people age due to waning immunity and comorbidities.20,21 Clinical studies have reported thirty-day readmission rates for older adults hospitalized for common vaccine-preventable diseases:

        According to a 2011-2015 study by Ackerson et al, 17% of hospitalized adults aged 60+ years with RSV were readmitted

        (see footnote k for study details)

        According to the same study by Ackerson et al, 12% of hospitalized adults aged 60+ years with influenza were readmitted

        (see footnote k for study details)

        In another clinical study conducted between 2013-2014 by Jain et al, 17% of hospitalized adults aged 65+ years with pneumonia were readmitted

        (see footnote l for study details)

        2. Patients with comorbidities

         

        Vaccine-preventable diseases can worsen preexisting medical conditions or cause new long-term health complications.24

        22% of patients aged 50+ years hospitalized with RSV experience an acute cardiac event, including 1 in 12 who had no documented underlying cardiovascular disease
        Up to 30% of patients admitted to the hospital for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) developed cardiovascular complications acutely and up to 10 years thereafter
        Adult patients were 6 times more likely to have a myocardial infarction in the week after being diagnosed with influenza

        3. Racial and ethnic minority groups

         

        Black and Hispanic patients are less likely to receive age-appropriate adult vaccines compared with White and Asian patients and more likely to be hospitalized with a vaccine-preventable disease.16

        Adults up to date on all vaccinations in the composite vaccination measure (including influenza) by race and ethnicity, 202216,p

        Estimated composite vaccination rates chart

        When compared with White and non-Hispanic patients, respectively:

        Black patients are 67% more likely to be hospitalized with influenza
        Hispanic patients are 21% more likely to be hospitalized with influenza

          Know your system's immunization rates and identify eligible patients who are not up to date on recommended vaccines.

          Epic EHR icon

          Shingles Epic EHR guides

          Use these guides to help identify patients eligible for the shingles vaccine and schedule timely automated outreach. Additional EHR guides will be released soon.

          VIEW EPIC RESOURCES
          EHR icon

          Alternative EHR guides

          Get the information you need to identify gaps in care, ensure vaccine administration and maintenance, and improve the quality of care using Oracle Cerner, Meditech, and more on GSKPro.com.

          VIEW EHR GUIDES

          EHR=electronic health record.

          Use the following resources to support referral protocol and identify ways to improve vaccination rates within your health system.

          EasyVax image

          Add EasyVax to your health system’s referral protocol.

          When in-office vaccination is not possible, EasyVax is a mobile-friendly website patients can access to immediately schedule vaccinations. This printable poster  explains how to scan and schedule a vaccine appointment without the hassle. Make sure the physicians in your health system are aware of this service and distribute these posters to patients.

          VISIT EASYVAX.COM
          Overcoming barriers to adult immunization webinar

          Watch a webinar recording tailored to health systems looking for actionable ways to increase vaccination rates.

          This webinar focuses on recent changes to vaccination reporting requirements and features a case study demonstrating how a health system successfully increased its vaccination rates using best practices.

          Make use of the following clinical resources to support vaccination efforts within your health system.

          For immunization schedules and strategies, explore the following resources from CDC.gov.

          Adult Immunization Schedule

          Adult Immunization Standards

          Strategies for Increasing Adult Vaccination Rates

          Immunization Strategies for Healthcare Practices and Providers

          Find resources designed to address various aspects of immunization on Immunize.org.

          Immunize.org Clinical Resources

          References

          1. National Committee for Quality Assurance. HEDIS® 2019 Volume 2: Technical Update. October 1, 2018. Accessed July 29, 2025. https://www.ncqa.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/HEDIS-2019-Volume-2-Technical-Update.pdf

          2. The Universal Foundation. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Updated June 26, 2025. Accessed July 29, 2025. https://www.cms.gov/medicare/quality/cms-national-quality-strategy/universal-foundation

          3. Announcement of calendar year (CY) 2025 Medicare Advantage (MA) capitation rates and Part C and Part D payment policies. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. April 1, 2024. Accessed July 29, 2025. https://www.cms.gov/files/document/2025-announcement.pdf

          4. HEDIS® MY 2025 measures and descriptions. National Committee for Quality Assurance. Accessed July 29, 2025. https://ncqa.org/wp-content/uploads/HEDIS-MY-2025-Measure-Description.pdf

          5. Calendar year (CY) 2024 Medicare physician fee schedule (PFS) final rule fact sheet and policy comparison table. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Accessed July 29, 2025. https://www.cms.gov/files/document/2024qpppoliciesfinalrulefactsheet.pdf

          6. 2024 MIPS clinical quality measure specifications and supporting documents: Quality Payment Program. Quality ID #493 (CBE 3620): Adult Immunization Status. Quality Payment Program. December 2023. Accessed July 29, 2025. https://qpp.cms.gov/docs/QPP_quality_measure_specifications/CQM-Measures/2024_Measure_493_MIPSCQM.pdf

          7. Esselman K, Ciemins EL, Donckels E, Barbera C, D’Andrea G, McBride T. Using quality measures to drive improvements in immunization rates: findings from a real-world evaluation from 3 US health care organizations. Popul Health Manag. 2022;25(3):423-429. doi:10.1089/pop.2021.0197

          8. Rodrigues CMC, Plotkin SA. Impact of vaccines; health, economic, and societal perspectives. Front Microbiol. 2020;11:1526. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2020.01526

          9. CQMC announces updates to eight core measure sets. News release. AHIP. August 17, 2023. Accessed July 29, 2025. https://www.ahip.org/news/press-releases/cqmc-announces-updates-to-eight-core-measure-sets

          10. Number of HEDIS® covered lives tops 200 million. National Committee for Quality Assurance. January 12, 2022. Accessed July 29, 2025. https://www.ncqa.org/blog/number-of-hedis-covered-lives-tops-200-million/

          11. Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS): traditional MIPS scoring guide for the 2022 performance year. Quality Payment Program. Accessed July 29, 2025. https://qpp-cm-prod-content.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/1970/2022%20Traditional%20MIPS%20Scoring%20Guide.pdf

          12. How MIPS eligibility is determined. Quality Payment Program. Accessed July 29, 2025. https://qpp.cms.gov/mips/how-eligibility-is-determined

          13. Learn about the MVP reporting option. Quality Payment Program. Accessed July 29, 2025. https://qpp.cms.gov/mips/mvps/learn-about-mvp-reporting-option

          14. Calendar year (CY) 2025 proposed and modified Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Value Pathways (MVPs). Quality Payment Program. Accessed July 29, 2025. https://qpp-cm-prod-content.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2877/2025-Proposed-and-Modified-MVPs-Guide.pdf

          15. Advance notice of methodological changes for calendar year (CY) 2024 for Medicare Advantage (MA) capitation rates and Part C and Part D payment policies. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. February 1, 2023. Accessed July 29, 2025. https://www.cms.gov/files/document/2024-advance-notice-pdf.pdf

          16. Vaccination coverage among adults in the United States, National Health Interview Survey, 2022. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. October 4, 2024. Accessed July 29, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/adultvaxview/publications-resources/adult-vaccination-coverage-2022.html

          17. Doherty MT, Aris E, Servotte N, Beck E. Capturing the value of vaccination: impact of vaccine-preventable disease on hospitalization. Aging Clin Exp Res. 2022;34(7):1551-1561. doi:10.1007/s40520-022-02110-2

          18. Flu vaccination coverage, United States, 2023-24 influenza season. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. September 20, 2024. Accessed September 3, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/fluvaxview/coverage-by-season/2023-2024.html

          19. Vaccination coverage among adults in the United States, National Health Interview Survey, 2021. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. July 19, 2024. Accessed July 29, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/adultvaxview/publications-resources/vaccination-coverage-adults-2021.html

          20. Al-Jabri M, Rosero C, Saade EA. Vaccine-preventable diseases in older adults. Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2023;37(1):103-121. doi:10.1016/j.idc.2022.11.005

          21. Pennisi F, Borlini S, Cuciniello R, et al. Improving vaccine coverage among older adults and high-risk patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis of hospital-based strategies. Healthcare (Basel). 2025;13(14):1667. doi:10.3390/healthcare13141667

          22. Ackerson B, Tseng HF, Sy LS, et al. Severe morbidity and mortality associated with respiratory syncytial virus versus influenza infection in hospitalized older adults. Clin Infect Dis. 2019;69(2):197-203. doi:10.1093/cid/ciy991

          23. Jain S, Khera R, Mortensen EM, Weissler JC. Readmissions of adults within three age groups following hospitalization for pneumonia: analysis from the Nationwide Readmissions Database. PLoS One. 2018;13(9):e0203375. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0203375

          24. Recommended vaccinations for adults. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. July 1, 2025. Accessed July 29, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/imz-schedules/adult-easyread.html

          25. Woodruff RC, Melgar M, Pham H, et al. Acute cardiac events in hospitalized older adults with respiratory syncytial virus infection. JAMA Intern Med. 2024;184(6):602-611. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2024.0212

          26. Restrepo MI, Reyes LF. Pneumonia as a cardiovascular disease. Respirology. 2018;23(3):250-259. doi:10.1111/resp.13233

          27. Kwong JC, Schwartz KL, Campitelli MA, et al. Acute myocardial infarction after laboratory-confirmed influenza infection. N Engl J Med. 2018;378(4):345-353. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1702090

          28. Chandrasekhar R, Sloan C, Mitchel E, et al. Social determinants of influenza hospitalization in the United States. Influenza Other Respir Viruses. 2017;11(6):479-488. doi:10.1111/irv.12483