Findings seen across flu seasons and age groups
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, Oct. 3, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Persistent racial differences in flu vaccination uptake are seen across ages and flu seasons, according to a study published in the Oct. 3 issue of Vaccine.
Stephanie A. Irving, from the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Oregon, and colleagues used eight Vaccine Safety Datalink health systems to identify influenza vaccines administered from August 1 through March 31 each season from 2017–2018 through 2022–2023 and to calculate crude vaccination coverage for each season for five age groups (6 months to 8 years, 9 to 17 years, 18 to 49 years, 50 to 64 years, and 65 years and older) by self-reported race and ethnicity.
The researchers found that across seasons, in all age groups, coverage was consistently highest among non-Hispanic Asian individuals and lowest among non-Hispanic Black individuals. The difference in coverage between Asian and Black individuals ranged from 15.1 (65 years and older) to 32.7 (6 months to 8 years) percentage points by age group in the 2022–2023 season. Overall, adults 65 years and older had the highest flu vaccination coverage, with their 2022–2023 coverage ranging from a low of 60.2 percent (Black adults) to a high of 75.3 percent (Asian adults).
“Observed differences in coverage affecting people of all ages call for ongoing, community-engaged, and culturally tailored efforts to understand seasonal influenza vaccination uptake among individuals of various races and ethnicities, leading to the development of outreach efforts to address identified barriers to vaccination,” the authors write.
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