Flu Vaccination Important for Asthma Patients

Researchers have discovered that only one-third of all asthmatic adults receive an annual flu vaccination even though they are considered a high-risk group for developing complications if they contract the flu. These findings were reported in the September 2003 issue of Chest.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, Atlanta, GA, USA; www.cdc.gov) recommend that all asthmatics receive the influenza vaccine annually. In a sampling of people with asthma, researchers found that only 35.1% got the vaccine in 1999, 36.7% in 2000, and 33.3% in 2001. The survey results also showed that the percentage of asthmatics who got the vaccine increased strongly with age, with 64.8% of those 65 years and older getting the vaccine.

"In young adults with asthma, there is a misconception that the vaccination will aggravate their asthma, which may cause them to avoid being vaccinated,” noted study author Seymour G. Williams, M.D., of the CDC's National Center for Environmental Health. Others may avoid the vaccination due to the cost or simply because they do not see its benefits.

Survey results indicated that vaccination rates progressively increased with higher educational attainment, and that gender and ethnicity also had an influence on vaccination rates. "The consistently low vaccination rates suggest that various strategies, including education, aimed at the provider and patient are needed to address the concerns that people with asthma have about the vaccine and to share with the patient the proven benefits of annual influenza vaccinations,” added Dr. Williams.