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Racial similarities in response to standardized offer of influenza vaccination

A MetroNet study

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Despite known benefits of influenza vaccination and coverage by Medicare Part B, elderly minority patients are less likely to receive influenza vaccination than whites.

OBJECTIVES: To test whether a nonphysician-initiated standardized offer of influenza vaccination to all elderly primary care patients would result in similar proportions of African-American and white patients accepting vaccine.

DESIGN: In 7 metropolitan Detroit primary care practices during the 2003 influenza vaccination season, medical assistants assessed influenza immunization status of all patients 65 years and older and collected limited demographic data. Eligible patients were offered vaccination.

MEASUREMENTS: Proportion of patients accepting influenza vaccination by race and predictors of vaccine acceptance.

RESULTS: Four hundred and fifty-four eligible patients with complete racial information were enrolled: 40% African American, 52% white, 8% other race/ethnicity. Similar proportions of African Americans and whites had already received the 2003 vaccine (11.6% and 11.0%, respectively) or stated vaccination as the reason for visit (23.8% and 30.5%, respectively). Among the remainder, there also were similar proportions who accepted vaccination: 68.9% white and 62.1% African-American patients. History of previous vaccination was the only statistically significant predictor of vaccine acceptance (odds ratio [OR] 8.64, 95% confidence interval [CI] 4.17, 17.91, P<.001). After adjusting for history of previous vaccination, age, gender, and education, the odds of vaccine acceptance were no different for whites and African Americans (OR 1.20, 95% CI 0.63, 2.29, P=.57).

CONCLUSIONS: Vaccination acceptance differed little between African-American and white elderly patients. Using nonphysician personnel to identify and offer influenza vaccine to eligible patients is easily accomplished in primary care offices and has the potential to eliminate racial disparities in influenza vaccination.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroif, MI, USA

    Kendra L. Schwartz MD, MSPH, Anne Victoria Neale PhD, MPH, Justin Northrup MPT & Joseph Monsur BS

  2. Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Divya A. Patel PhD

  3. Family Medicine, P.C., Southfield, MI, USA

    Rodrigo Tobar Jr. MD

  4. National Immunization Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Pascale M. Wortley MD

Authors
  1. Kendra L. Schwartz MD, MSPH
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  2. Anne Victoria Neale PhD, MPH
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  3. Justin Northrup MPT
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  4. Joseph Monsur BS
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  5. Divya A. Patel PhD
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  6. Rodrigo Tobar Jr. MD
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  7. Pascale M. Wortley MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kendra L. Schwartz MD, MSPH.

Additional information

The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the funding agency.

Funded in part by AAMC/CDC cooperative grant U36/CCU319276 CFDA 93.283.

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Schwartz, K.L., Neale, A.V., Northrup, J. et al. Racial similarities in response to standardized offer of influenza vaccination. J Gen Intern Med 21, 346–351 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-1497.2006.00401.x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-1497.2006.00401.x

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