While parents who don't get their kids vaccinated or don't believe the shots are important is one of the top public medical concerns du jour, the population group with a truly abysmal vaccination rate is the elderly. Studies show that three out of four Americans over the age of 60 are not getting necessary shots for shingles.  

The vaccine, which doctors recommend to older patients, is aimed at preventing some of the virus' worst symptoms. Painful rashes across the body and face and permanent blindness are potential consequences of the illness that the vaccines can help block.  

About a million Americans are afflicted by shingles every year, more than half of them over 60.  

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