Adult flu vaccination rates low, CDC says

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Adult flu vaccination rates low, CDC says

ATLANTA, Georgia (AP) -- Not enough American adults are getting

vaccinated against the flu, and the nation will probably fall short

of the immunization-rate goals it set for the year 2010, federal

health officials said Thursday.

The reasons include recurring vaccine shortages and a failure to

educate older Hispanics about the importance of vaccinations, said

Euler, an epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention.

The government set 2010 goals of a 90 percent flu vaccination rate

for people 65 and older, and 60 percent for younger adults who have

high-risk conditions.

But the rate for senior citizens was 64.6 percent in 2004, down from

65.6 percent the year before, Euler said.

For adults 19 to 49 with high-risk conditions, the rate rose to 26

percent in 2004, up from 24.2 percent in 2003. But the rate for

adults ages 50 to 64 dropped to 45.5 percent, from 46.3 percent.

" Given these trends, the national targets for influenza coverage ...

will not be met by 2010, " the CDC said.

CDC officials are hoping for a better vaccination campaign this fall.

Despite recent announcements that two vaccine producers will not

deliver as many doses as originally promised, health officials said

the nation should still get the 75 million doses needed to meet

demand this fall and winter.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/10/20/flu.vaccine.ap/index.html