Latin American Adult Immunisation Advocacy Summit: Overcoming regional barriers to adult vaccination.

Older adults in Latin America are at an increased risk of hospitalisation, ill health, catastrophic disability and death due to vaccine-preventable diseases such as influenza, herpes zoster, and pneumonia. The Latin American Adult Immunisation Advocacy Summit, held in Mexico City, gathered 40 experts in health, ageing and immunisation from 12 Latin American countries to explore good practices of adult vaccination, key country and regional barriers, and strategies to overcome these barriers. The Summit comprised of introductory lectures, plenary panels and breakout sessions with the overarching goal of improving adult vaccination uptake rates throughout the region. Several key messages and recommendations arose from the Summit. Delegates agreed upon the need for a paradigm shift in thinking towards a life course perspective on vaccination to sustain good health throughout life and promote well-being, dignity and functional capacity in older age. Delegates revealed the need for national financial commitment to fixed and irrevocable funding for universal vaccination and the urgent requirement for robust scientific, epidemiologic research in Latin American communities on the cost benefits of such coverage. The recommendations were strengthened through a common understanding of the unique multisectoral and multidisciplinary collaborations essential to influence and help shape public policy.