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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE			          
Thursday, Oct. 1, 1998				         
Contact:  Charlis Thompson,  CDC, Division of Media Relations  (404) 639-3286

HHS Secretary Donna E. Shalala announced today that the number of older Americans receiving flu shots in 45 states in 1997 has already surpassed the Year 2000 goal set by the U.S. Public Health Service, and those receiving pneumonia shots are also the highest level ever reported.

At the same time, Secretary Shalala noted that the flu remains a serious threat, particularly to older Americans, and urged seniors to begin this month getting their 1998 flu shots this month.

"Flu and pneumonia can be deadly for older Americans, so it's good news that the nation is exceeding our adult vaccination goals -- our focus and investments are paying off," Secretary Shalala said. "But we will not relax until every senior citizen knows that a flu and pneumonia shot is convenient, free under Medicare and a life-saver."

HHS' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that a total of 65 percent of older adults surveyed said they received the influenza vaccine in the past year and 45 percent said that they had received the pneumococcal vaccine. The report shows that vaccination levels increased substantially between 1995 and 1997 in most states. The survey results are contained in CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) published today.

In its Healthy People 2000 initiative, which sets disease and injury prevention goals for the nation every 10 years, the U. S. Public Health Service set a goal to increase flu and pneumonia vaccination levels to 60 percent or more for persons at high risk for complications, including older adults. In 1996, influenza and pneumonia were the fifth leading cause of death among U.S. adults aged 65 and older.

"Each winter, a flu epidemic sweeps the country, killing 20,000 Americans -- most over age 65 -- and putting more than 100,000 in the hospital," Secretary Shalala said. "In this golden age of information, communication and immunization, death from the flu is a tragedy we can prevent."

The MMWR also showed that persons aged 65-74 years were less likely to be vaccinated than persons aged 75 or older.

To boost vaccination levels nationwide, a special working group led by HHS Deputy Secretary Kevin Thurm developed an Adult Immunization Action Plan last year. Spanning the public and private sectors, the Action Plan sets forth new strategies to increase public awareness, expand health care system capacity to deliver vaccinations, monitor and improve the nation's immunization system and advance research in disease-fighting vaccines. For example, the Health Care Financing Administration has launched the Horizons Program to target extra adult immunization efforts to under-served communities.

"We're building on sound research to find new ways to deliver vaccines to adults, not only in the hospital, clinic or nursing home, but also in non-traditional sites such as pharmacies, churches and senior centers," Deputy Secretary Thurm said. "We are reaching out to all concerned -- and everyone should be concerned -- to remind senior citizens to get their flu and pneumonia shots."

This week's edition of MMWR also shows that vaccination levels rose substantially in all racial and ethnic groups between 1995 and 1997. However, vaccination levels remained significantly lower for non-Hispanic African-Americans, with influenza at 50 percent and pneumococcal at 30 percent, and for Hispanics, with influenza at 58 percent and pneumococcal at 34 percent. This year, President Clinton announced a new initiative that sets a national goal of eliminating, by the year 2010, long-standing disparities in health status that affect racial and ethnic minority groups, including adult immunization.

"Getting vaccinations to senior citizens in under-served communities is a crucial way to close the racial health gap in America," Deputy Secretary Thurm said.

Flu shots must be given every year because the influenza virus changes from year to year. CDC recommends that the best time to conduct annual vaccination campaigns is between October and mid-November. However, after mid-November, older adults and people with chronic illnesses may still benefit from influenza vaccination, even after flu cases begin to occur in the community.

The survey results on adult vaccination rates in this week's MMWR summarize provisional data from the 1997 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Vaccination levels from past years have been similar to estimates from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), also administered by CDC. National progress towards achieving Year 2000 goals will be measured by NHIS.

"We're pleased with our progress on adult immunizations, but we cannot rest on our accomplishments as long as there are those who are suffering and dying from diseases that we know how to prevent," said Walter A. Orenstein, M.D., director of CDC's National Immunization Program.

Medicare coverage for flu shots for the elderly began in 1993, as the Clinton Administration launched an effort to increase immunization rates among older adults. The shots are free for those enrolled in Medicare Part B from physicians who accept Medicare payment as full payment. Medicare also covers vaccinations against pneumonia. A beneficiary who has not previously received the pneumococcal vaccine can obtain it at the same time as the flu shot.

For more information about receiving a flu shot covered by Medicare, contact: 1-800-638-6833. For more information about influenza disease and CDC's recommendations for influenza vaccination, telephone the CDC National Immunization Information Hotline (800) 232-2522, English, and (800) 232-0233, Spanish, or visit CDC's Internet page at www.cdc.gov/nip. For weekly updates on influenza cases during the season, visit www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/flu/weekly.htm.

Note: HHS press releases are available on the World Wide Web at: www.hhs.gov.