KEYWORD1:
Asthma, Healthy People 2010, Influenza, States, Vaccination

BACKGROUND:
National objectives call for annual influenza vaccination of at least 60% of adults aged 18-64 years with asthma and other conditions associated with high risk of complications from influenza.

OBJECTIVE:
Estimate state-specific and national levels of self-reported receipt of influenza vaccination among adults aged 18-64 years with asthma.

METHOD:
BRFSS 2001 data were analyzed using SUDAAN to estimate state-specific and national prevalence of self-reported receipt of influenza vaccination in the past 12 months among 13,327 respondents aged 18-64 years reporting they currently had asthma.

RESULT:
Overall, 7.4% of adults aged 18-64 reported current asthma. The median influenza vaccination prevalence among 50 states and the District of Columbia was 33% (range 23% - 43%). Nationally, persons with neither asthma nor diabetes were less likely to report influenza vaccination (21.0%) than persons with asthma and diabetes (50.8%), diabetes without asthma (41.7%), or asthma without diabetes (30.6%).

CONCLUSION:
In 2001, influenza vaccination prevalence among adults aged 18-64 years with asthma was far below the national health objective in all states. Increased state and national effort is needed to improve influenza vaccination levels among adults under age 65 at high risk of influenza complications.
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES:
Promote importance of influenza vaccination among adults with asthma.