title: Despite small improvement, black nursing home residents remain less likely than whites to receive flu vaccine.
abstract: Vaccination is a key deterrent to influenza and its related complications and outcomes, including hospitalization and death. Using 2006-09 data, we found a small improvement in vaccination rates among nursing home residents, particularly for blacks. Nonetheless, overall vaccination rates remained well below the 90 percent target for high-quality care, and black nursing home residents remained less likely to be vaccinated than whites. Blacks were less likely to be vaccinated than were whites in the same facility and were more likely to live in facilities with lower vaccination rates. Blacks were also more likely to be noted as refusing vaccination. Strategies are needed to ensure that facilities offer vaccination to all residents and to make vaccination more acceptable to black residents and their families.
authors: Center for Gerontology and Health Care Research, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA. shubing_cai@brown.edu
authors: Shubing
authors: S
authors: Cai
authors: Zhanlian
authors: Z
authors: Feng
authors: Mary L
authors: ML
authors: Fennell
authors: Vincent
authors: V
authors: Mor
mesh_terms: D044383:Black People; D005260:Female; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D006278:Medicare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009735:Nursing Homes; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States; D044465:White People; D001741:Black or African American
chemical_list: D007252:Influenza Vaccines