Immunization Rates Lag in Older African-American and Hispanic Populations, AARP Report Shows: More than half skip flu shots, missing opportunity for prevention
A new report by AARP's Public Policy Institute highlights the impact of low vaccination rates for influenza and pneumonia among older black and Hispanic populations. Rates for these groups lag significantly behind whites.
Together, influenza and pneumonia represent the eighth leading cause of death in the United States, despite the availability of annual flu shots and the one-time pneumococcal vaccination.
'It's tragic that America loses so many lives each year to preventable diseases,' said AARP Board Member Jacob Lozada.
'Even more alarming are the drastic ethnic and racial disparities that exist in immunization rates. With so much riding on our health, there is no excuse not to get vaccinated.' Lozada noted that both flu and pneumonia vaccination are available at no cost to people on Medicare.
The most recent data show two-thirds of white adults age 65 and older reported receiving the flu vaccine in 2006. In the same year, less than half of blacks (47%) and Hispanics (45%) received the flu vaccine. The disparity is even greater for pneumococcal vaccine, with 62 percent of older whites receiving the vaccine, compared to only 36 percent of blacks and 33 percent of Hispanics.
