CDC Report: Inequities Found in Flu Vaccine Uptake in the US

HEALTHCARE

According to a new report by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Hispanic, Black, and American Indian adults in the US, which are less likely to be vaccinated, and more likely to hospitalize. The report surveyed flu hospitalization rates from 2009 to 2022, and vaccination coverage from 2010 to 2022 by race and ethnicity.

Flu vaccination coverage is consistently lower among the Hispanic, American Indian, and Black adults since 2010. According to the report, in 2021 to 2022 season the flu vaccination coverage was 54 percent among Asian and White people, compared to 42 percent among Black adults, 41 percent among American Indian adults, and 38 percent among Hispanic adults.

According to the report, compared with White adults, flu hospitalizations rates were nearly 80 percent higher among Black adults, which is 30 percent higher than American Indian adults, and 20 percent higher than Hispanic adults.

According to the US CDC, there are several reasons for disparities in serious outcomes of flu, including lack of access to insurance and healthcare, the people’s missed opportunities to vaccinate, and distrust and misinformation that contribute to lower levels of confidence in flu vaccines.

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