The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institute of Health (NIH), and the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are among the credible sources of information regarding pneumonia in older adults. The type of data available on the CDC website are statistics on new infections among older populations. According to an article found on the CDC website, pneumonia is the leading cause of infection-related deaths in the United States, with potential for severe complications such as respiratory failure and sepsis (Wuerth et al., 2016). NIH has published information on the causes, risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment of pneumonia. Although pneumonia can affect people of all ages, older adults are at a higher risk because their immune systems generally weaken as they age. Older adults are also more likely to have other chronic (long-term) health conditions that raise the risk of pneumonia. (NIH, 2021). Lastly, HHS publicizes most data pertaining to preventive measures of pneumonia. It also gives dates and locations of organized clinics that offer free vaccinations. Getting vaccinated is the best way to prevent pneumococcal disease. (HHS, 2020
2. use one of the following public health websites mentioned in question 1 to provide the mortality (death) rate of the disease in your study population:
Mortality rates in adults aged 65 and older with pneumonia are higher than in younger populations. In 2018, the death rate from influenza and pneumonia among persons aged 65 years and older was 93.2 deaths per 100,000 population. Death rates increased with age from 31.7 deaths per 100,000 population among adults aged 65–74 years, to 94.2 among adults aged 75–84 years, to 377.6 among those aged 85 years and older. The results also reveal that in each age group the mortality rates were higher for men than for women (CDC, 2020).
Briefly discuss an example of the cost-benefit analysis and/or cost-effective analysis method to prevent the disease in your study population.