Can Artificial Intelligence Help Improve Vaccination Coverage?

Adult vaccination is a critical public health strategy for promoting healthy aging and preventing vaccine-preventable diseases. Yet, coverage remains suboptimal worldwide: in the U.S., only 22.8% of adults received all age-appropriate vaccines in 2022¹, and similar gaps exist in other countries, including Spain.

Globally, the population over 65 is growing rapidly—from 0.7 billion in 2020 to an expected 1.5 billion by 2050²—highlighting the urgent need for effective strategies to reach and engage adults.

Maximizing vaccine uptake improves health outcomes and reduces healthcare costs, making innovative approaches like Artificial Intelligence (AI) increasingly valuable.

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Why do so many adults miss important vaccines?

Adult vaccination rates are generally much lower than pediatric coverage, varying by age, race, and ethnicity. Common barriers include:

• Forgetting appointments
• Underestimating personal risk
• Misinformation in the media that leads the public to perceive vaccines as a risk to their health.
• Lack of awareness of recommended vaccines
• Complicated and unfriendly appointment procedures

Preventable diseases such as influenza, pneumococcal infections, tetanus, and Herpes Zoster (shingles) continue to burden society, causing hospitalizations and, in some cases, death, partly due to low adult immunization adherence.

The societal and economic impact is evident: In Spain, every €1 invested in the National Immunization Program (PNI) generates €4.58 in economic benefit, highlighting the value of proactive vaccination campaigns⁸.

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Are there real-world examples of AI improving vaccination coverage?

Yes. Artificial Intelligence is already improving vaccination campaigns in Europe and USA.

In Spain, for instance, the Government of La Rioja has implemented a pioneering project using LOLA, Tucuvi’s Clinical Voice AI Agent, which calls adults to ensure they receive the recommended shingles and pneumococcal vaccines.

By engaging patients through natural, human-like conversations over the phone, LOLA supports clinical teams in identifying eligible individuals, providing timely reminders, answering patient questions, and following up on vaccination, helping to increase coverage and reduce preventable complications.

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How Hospitals Can Use AI to Improve Adult Vaccination Coverage

Artificial Intelligence can improve adult vaccination coverage by:

• Identifying adults who need vaccination according to official guidelines
• Sending reminders and follow-ups in an easy-to-understand, conversational way
• Answering patient questions to improve understanding and engagement
• Reducing administrative workload for clinical staff

The real-world impact of AI is especially evident when applied to diseases like shingles and pneumococcal infections, as demonstrated in the La Rioja project.

Shingles can cause painful rashes and long-term complications, particularly in adults over 50, while pneumococcal infections may lead to severe pneumonia, meningitis, or bloodstream infections, with higher risks for adults over 60 or those with chronic conditions.

In Europe, a hospitalized shingles case costs from €774.66 to €31,026.22⁷.

In Spain, one study reported an annual hospitalization cost due to shingles of approximately €35.7 million, with a mean cost per patient of €5,172⁴.

Key Statistics: Adult Vaccination Challenges in Spain⁶

• Shingles incidence: 413 cases per 100,000 inhabitants (2014–2022), and rising.
• Older adults affected: 68.8% of shingles cases occur in people over 50.
• Shingles vaccination coverage at age 65: Only 23.2% nationwide.
• Pneumococcal vaccination coverage (65+): ~41.51% nationally, with major regional variation:
  
  • Andalucía: >69%
  • Other regions: <20%

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These figures show why proactive vaccination campaigns are essential. The increases in coverage over time demonstrate that even traditional public health strategies, when sustained, can deliver meaningful impact.

Integrating AI in healthcare, particularly clinical voice AI tools, into these campaigns can accelerate progress even further — reaching more people, reducing access barriers, and supporting clinical teams at scale.

In summary, hospitals can increase adult vaccination coverage by combining traditional approaches—such as patient reminders, education, and simplified booking—with innovative tools like Clinical Voice AI. Real-world projects, like the La Rioja initiative in Spain, show how this approach leads to higher adherence, reduced preventable complications, and lower healthcare costs.

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What to look for in an AI partner for vaccination campaigns?

When evaluating AI solutions for vaccination campaigns, consider:

• Proven effectiveness: Look for solutions with demonstrated results—partnerships with leading hospitals and health authorities, successful vaccination campaigns, and measurable improvements in coverage rates.
• Regulatory compliance: Certification and adherence to healthcare regulations ensure organizations can adopt AI technology confidently, without compromising patient care or safety.
• Ease of integration into existing workflows: The right AI solution should adapt to existing clinical environments without adding complexity. It should integrate seamlessly with electronic health records (EHRs), patient registries, or clinical CRMs to avoid duplication and manual work, require minimal technical training so that healthcare teams can begin using it quickly, and align with local vaccination protocols and regulatory guidelines to ensure smooth implementation and compliance.

Tucuvi stands out as a leader in the field. Its Clinical Voice AI platform, a Class IIb certified SaaS solution under the EU-MDR, supports clinical teams while ensuring reliability, accuracy, and data security.

By helping healthcare organizations identify and engage patients proactively, it not only streamlines vaccination efforts but also improves access to timely information and care—enhancing both clinical efficiency and patient experience.

As the global population ages and public health systems face mounting pressure, innovative solutions like Clinical Voice AI offer a scalable, cost-effective way to increase adult vaccination coverage. Tucuvi’s real-world results show that AI can deliver meaningful impact—for patients, providers, and the healthcare system as a whole.

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Want to Increase Adult Vaccination Rates in Your Region?

Discover how Tucuvi’s Clinical Voice AI can help your organization engage patients, improve adherence, and reduce healthcare costs.

Get in touch or explore our real-world case studies.

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References

1. _{U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Adult Vaccination Coverage — United States, 2022.  https://www.cdc.gov/adultvaxview/publications-resources/adult-vaccination-coverage-2022.html}
2. _{United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects 2022. https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/3907988/files/WorldPopulationAgeing2019-Report.pdf}
3. _{Ministerio de Sanidad, España. https://pestadistico.inteligenciadegestion.sanidad.gob.es/publicoSNS/S/sivamin#:~:text=SIVAMIN%20es%20el%20Sistema%20de,aut%C3%B3noma%20desde%20el%20a%C3%B1o%202017.}
4. _{Corcuera-Munguia M, Gil-Prieto R, Garcia-Carretero R, Gil-de-Miguel A. Hospitalization Burden Related to Herpes Zoster Infection in Spain (2016-2019). Infect Dis Ther. 2023 Jan;12(1):143-156. doi: 10.1007/s40121-022-00717-6. Epub 2022 Nov 8. PMID: 36348228; PMCID: PMC9868224.}
5. ^{Ministerio de Sanidad, España. Cobertura de vacunación frente a herpes zóster y neumococo en adultos 2024. https://www.sanidad.gob.es/areas/promocionPrevencion/vacunaciones/enfermedades/ciudadanos/zoster.htm#:~:text=%C2%BFCu%C3%A1l%20es%20la%20frecuencia%20de,%E2%89%A585%20a%C3%B1os%20de%20edad.}
6. ^{Ministerio de Sanidad. (s.f.). Sistema de Información de Vacunaciones del Sistema Nacional de Salud (SIVAMIN). Recuperado de https://pestadistico.inteligenciadegestion.sanidad.gob.es/publicoSNS/I/sivamin/sivamin}
7. ^{Panatto D, Bragazzi NL, Rizzitelli E, Bonanni P, Boccalini S, Icardi G, Gasparini R, Amicizia D. Evaluation of the economic burden of Herpes Zoster (HZ) infection. Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2015;11(1):245-62. doi: 10.4161/hv.36160. PMID: 25483704; PMCID: PMC4514227.}
8. ^{Economía de la Salud. (2024, octubre 14). Cada euro invertido en el calendario nacional de vacunación en España genera 4,58 euros de beneficio. https://economiadelasalud.com/topics/difusion/vacunas-inversion-euro-pni-espana-genera-458-beneficio}