KUSA - A recent study found an average of 30,000 adults die of preventable diseases every year.
Licensed MD, MPH and Colorado University assistant professor Laura Hurley authored the study.
It is estimated only 62 to 65 percent of adults over 65 get pneumococcal or influenza vaccines.
Nineteen- to 65-year-old adults are considered high risk, and only 20 percent of those get the pneumococcal vaccine.
In addition, the shingles vaccine is only given to 16 percent of those 60 and older.
A national survey of primary care physicians in collaboration with the Center of Disease Control and Prevention looked at how home doctors assessed vaccination status in 2012.
One possible reason for the low outreach of vaccinations is unavailability due to cost.
"Physicians reported a variety of barriers to vaccine stocking and administration but financial barriers dominated the list," the study said.
"Physicians in smaller, private practice often assume more risks from stocking expensive vaccine inventories and may be particularly affected by these financial barriers."
Doctors have a hard time recovering reimbursement for the shingles vaccination, and patients require a high out-of-pocket cost for these vaccinations.
"Our study suggests that missed opportunities for adult vaccination are common because vaccination status is not being assessed at every [physician's] visit, which is admittedly an ambitious goal," Hurley said.
"Also, most physicians are not stocking all recommended vaccines."
The study recommends the Immunization Information Systems record all vaccinations in an area so doctors know the status of patients.
According to Hurley, this issue could become more serious in the future.
"As the population ages this could easily grow into a more serious public health issue,"
