Adult Population Coverage With Influenza Vaccine and Influenza Hospitalization Rates-Is There a Role for Active Outreach to Immunize At-Risk Neighborhoods?

Abstract

We evaluated whether Denver neighborhoods with elevated rates of adult hospitalizations for laboratory-confirmed influenza had lower adult coverage with influenza vaccine. Overall vaccine coverage was low. Hospitalization rates were associated with demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. Active immunization of at-risk neighborhoods may be necessary to address disparities in influenza hospitalization rates.

Keywords: Influenza; hospitalization; human; influenza vaccine; spatial analysis.