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Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Coverage — United States, 2009–10 and 2010–11

	Supplement Volume 62, Supplement, No. 3 November 22, 2013 PDF of this issue

Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Coverage — United States, 2009–10 and 2010–11

Supplements

November 22, 2013 / 62(03);65-68

Anne F. McIntyre, PhD

Amparo G. Gonzalez-Feliciano, MPH

Leah N. Bryan, MPH,

Tammy A. Santibanez, PhD

Walter W. Williams, MD

James A. Singleton, PhD

National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, CDC

Corresponding author: Anne F. McIntyre, PhD, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, CDC. Telephone: 404-639-8284; E-mail: AMcIntyre@cdc.gov.

Introduction

Infection with influenza viruses can cause severe morbidity and mortality among all age groups. Children, particularly those aged <5 class="cite-bib" span="" style="font-size: 1.09em;" years="">1–3
), have the highest incidence of infection during epidemic periods; however, the highest rates of influenza-associated hospitalizations and deaths are among the elderly (aged ≥65 years), children aged <2 age="" and="" any="" class="cite-bib" conditions="" medical="" of="" span="" style="font-size: 1.09em;" those="" underlying="" with="" years="">1,4,5). Each year, influenza-related complications are estimated to result in more than 226,000 hospitalizations (6). During 1976–2006, estimates of influenza-associated deaths in the United States ranged from approximately 3,000 to an estimated 49,000 persons (7,8) (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/keyfacts.htm#howserious). Annual vaccination is the most effective strategy for preventing influenza virus infection and its complications (9). Racial and ethnic disparities in seasonal influenza vaccination coverage have been observed in previous influenza seasons among children and adults (10). This summary updates the evaluation of these disparities among all persons aged ≥6 months, previously reported for the 2000–01 through the 2009–10 season (10), with findings from the 2010–11 influenza season and compares coverage in 2009–10 and 2010–11. For the 2010–11 influenza season, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) expanded its recommendations to include annual influenza vaccination of all persons aged ≥6 months (11). For the first time, the 2010–11 ACIP flu season recommendations included healthy adults aged 18–49 years.
This report is part of the second CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities Report (CHDIR) (12). The 2011 CHDIR (13) was the first CDC report to assess disparities across a wide range of diseases, behavioral risk factors, environmental exposures, social determinants, and health-care access. The criteria for inclusion of topics that are presented in the 2013 CHDIR are described in the 2013 CHDIR Introduction (14). This report provides an update on the progress of influenza vaccination coverage in the United States, by age, race/ethnicity, and risk status. The purposes of this report on influenza vaccination are to discuss and raise awareness of differences in the characteristics of populations who received influenza vaccination, and to prompt actions to reduce disparities.