KEYWORDS:
Influenza vaccination, asthma

BACKGROUND:
Approximately 20,000 adults and children each year die from respiratory infections, mainly due to influenza virus. Influenza vaccination is recommended for populations at high risk for disease, including patients with asthma. Influenza vaccination has been shown to be efficacious and safe. The risk of morbidity and mortality due to asthma is higher among African Americans than non-minority populations. However, the data on the use of influenza vaccine among African Americans with asthma is not well known.

OBJECTIVE(S):
To assess influenza vaccination among primarily African Americans adults and children with asthma in an academic medical practice and to identify reasons for lack of influenza vaccination.

METHOD(S):
A cross-sectional study of all patients 2 years of age or older with a diagnosis of asthma in a faculty practice plan was conducted in 2000. All patients with an ICD-9 code for asthma were included in the study. A retrospective chart review was conducted to obtain demographic and clinical information, health insurance coverage, and influenza vaccination history during the influenza season (October 1997 – April 1998).

RESULT(S):
During the 1997-1998 influenza season, 398 children and adults with asthma were enrolled in the faculty medical plan; 95 children aged 2-18 years and 76 adults aged 19 years or older. Fifty (52%) of 95 children and 60 (78%) of 76 adults were classified as having moderately persistent asthma. Influenza vaccination was only received by 19% of the patients.

CONCLUSIONS(S):
This preliminary data confirm that vaccination coverage among African American children and adults with moderate persistent asthma is very low. Further analysis is underway to identify risk factors for lack of vaccination to ultimately improve the vaccination status against influenza among this high-risk group of patients.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
To document low vaccination coverage among a high-risk group for complications of influenza and to identify reasons for low vaccination utilization.