KEYWORDS:
Influenza, NHIS

BACKGROUND:
A national year 2000 health objective in the United States called for at least 60% influenza vaccination of non-institutionalized, high risk populations each year, including all those aged ³65 years.

OBJECTIVE(S):
Describe national influenza vaccination levels in 1999.

METHOD(S):
Data from the 1999 National Health Interview Survey, weighted to reflect the civilian, non-institutionalized U.S. population, were analyzed to determine self-reported levels of influenza vaccination in the past 12 months (with 95% confidence intervals). Persons aged 18-64 years considered at high risk for complications from influenza infection included those reporting asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, heart disease, diabetes, weak or failing kidneys, or selected cancers.

RESULT(S):
Among persons aged ³65 years, influenza vaccination coverage was 65.7% [64.3%-67.2] in 1999 and 63.3% in 1998. In 1999, coverage remained lower for non-Hispanic blacks (49.7% [45.3%-54.0%]) and Hispanics (55.1% [50.0%-60.2%]) compared to non-Hispanic whites (67.9% [66.3%-69.5%]). Among persons aged 18-64 years, those with high risk conditions were more likely to be vaccinated than those without a high risk condition (ages 18-49, 22.6% vs. 15.4%; ages 50-64, 45.0% vs. 29.7%).

CONCLUSIONS(S):
In 1999, influenza vaccination coverage exceeded the national 2000 objective overall among persons aged ³65 years and was 2.4 percentage points higher than in 1998. Additional effort is needed to reach the national 2010 target of 90% for persons aged ³65 years, especially among racial/ethnic minorities, and the 60% target for adults aged 18-64 years with high risk conditions.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Identify target populations where improvement is needed to achieve national year 2010 objectives for influenza vaccination of adults.