Avian Flu Diary: TFAH: Fighting Flu Fatigue

# 5044

TFAH (Trust for America’s Health) has released a new report called Fighting Flu Fatigue, that finds (among things) – that hospitalization rates were higher during the 2009 pandemic, but vaccination rates were lower – for African-Americans, Hispanics, and American Indian/Alaska Natives.

Jeffrey Levi, PhD, Executive Director of TFAH, urges in the press release that we not return to a national complacency about influenza, but that we build on the momentum of the pandemic response efforts.

This report makes a number of recommendations, including the creation of a major campaign that provides:

Education about the need for flu shots, focused on why everyone should get immunized and the safety of the shots;
Special, concerted outreach to minority groups. It is particularly important to use targeted, culturally-appropriate messages and messengers that encourage vaccinations and address negative beliefs and misinformation;
Increased easy access to flu shots, even to people who are uninsured or do not receive regular medical care; and
Incentives for health care workers to be vaccinated. Last season, only 62 percent of health care workers were vaccinated against the seasonal flu and only 37 percent received an H1N1 flu shot by January 2010.

There is a lot more to read here, as well, so be sure to read the full report.

First some excerpts from the press release for this report, followed by a link to the report itself.

Press Release

For Immediate Release: November 10, 2010

New Report Finds H1N1 Hospitalization Rates Higher But Vaccination Rates Lower for Minorities

Washington, D.C., November 10, 2010 - H1N1 flu hospitalization rates for African-Americans, Hispanics, and American Indian/Alaska Natives were nearly two to one higher than rates for Whites during the 2009-2010 flu season, according to a new report, Fighting Flu Fatigue, from the Trust for America's Health (TFAH). At the same time, both H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccination rates were lower for African Americans and Hispanics than for Whites.

During the 2009-2010 flu season:

African American hospitalization rates were 29.7 per 100,000 people compared to White hospitalization rates of 16.3 per 100,000 people. Hispanic hospitalization rates were 30.7 percent per 100,000 people;

H1N1 vaccination rates were 9.8 percent lower for African-American adults and 4.2 percent lower for African-American children than for Whites;

Seasonal flu vaccination rates were 16.5 percent lower for African-American adults and 5.6 percent lower for African-American children than for Whites;

H1N1 vaccination rates were 11.5 percent lower for Hispanic adults than for Whites, although rates were 5.5 percent higher for Hispanic children; and

Seasonal flu vaccination rates were 21.7 percent lower for Hispanic adults and 2.6 percent lower for Hispanic children than for Whites.

The flu is preventable with a vaccine - yet, each year, between 3,000 and 49,000 Americans die from flu-related illnesses (based on a review of deaths from 1976 to 2007) and the flu contributes to more than $10 billion in lost productivity and direct medical expenses and $16 billion in lost potential earnings each year in the United States. Fighting Flu Fatigue examines lessons from the H1N1 pandemic to inform future flu policies and prevention in the United States.

(Continue . . .)