READII
READII |
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Racial
& Ethnic Adult Disparities in Immunization
Initiative
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At
a glance:
READII is a two-year demonstration project
being conducted in five sites to improve
influenza and pneumococcal vaccination
rates for African-Americans and Hispanics
65 years of age and older. |
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Contents
of this page: |
- Overview/background:
- Research:
- Print
and video materials:
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Related
pages: |
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What is the public
health problem? |
-
The burden of vaccine-preventable
diseases in adults in the U.S. is staggering
– over 40,000 adults die each year
from vaccine-preventable diseases.
- Each
year approximately 200,000 people in the
United States are hospitalized because of
influenza. An average of 36,000 people die
annually due to influenza and its complications–
most are people 65 years of age and over.
- Annually
there are approximately 40,000 cases of invasive
pneumococcal disease in the United States
and approximately one-third of these cases
occur in people 65 and older. About half
of the 5,000 annual deaths from invasive
pneumococcal disease occur in the elderly.
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African Americans and Hispanics have significantly
lower influenza and pneumoccal immunization
rates compared to the rest of the population.
Influenza vaccination coverage among adults
65 years of age and older is 68 percent for
whites, 48 percent for African Americans,
and 54 percent for Hispanics. The gap for
pneumococcal vaccination coverage among ethnic
groups is even wider, with 60 percent for
whites, 38 percent for African Americans,
and 36 percent for Hispanics. (Source: Behavioral
Risk Factor Surveillance System, 1999 &
2001.) Little is known about the best intervention
strategies for these populations.
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What is being
done to address racial and ethnic disparities
in adult immunization? |
The Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS) has made the elimination of racial and
ethnic disparities in influenza and pneumococcal
vaccination coverage for people 65 years of
age and older a priority. To address these
disparities and to assist in reaching the 2010
national health goal of 90% influenza and pneumococcal
vaccination rates among persons 65 and over,
HHS, in collaboration with the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other
federal partners, launched the Racial and Ethnic
Adult Disparities Immunization Initiative (READII)
in July 2002.
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Other
websites featuring related topics |
Research
into racial and ethnic disparities in
adult immunization |
Research
supports the continued need for efforts to
reduce these disparities. The October 10, 2003
issue of Morbidity and Mortality
Weekly Reports contains
the article "Racial/Ethnic Disparities
in Influenza and Pneumococcal Vaccination Levels
Among Persons Aged >65 Years - United States,
1989-2001," which summarizes analyses
of results of National Health Interview Surveys
(NHIS). Analyses indicate that marked differences
in vaccination coverage continue to exist by
race and ethnicity, and these differences are
observed even among persons most likely to
be vaccinated (that is, persons with the highest
education level and persons with frequent visits
to healthcare providers). These disparities
in influenza and pneumococcal vaccination coverage
have persisted over time, and a variety of
approaches are recommended for reducing them,
such as use of standing orders for vaccination.
Read the complete
article.
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Research
into beliefs
about influenza and pneumococcal immunization |
During
the period August 20-27, 2002, the National
Immunization Program (NIP) at the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) commissioned
a series of consumer focus groups and physician
interviews to collect qualitative data about
beliefs, behaviors, and barriers that cause
low influenza and pneumococcal immunization
rates among older African-American and Hispanic
populations. Historically, immunization rates
for these relatively high-risk groups have
been low. Focus groups and interviews were
conducted in Chicago, IL; Jackson, MS; Milwaukee,
WI; Rochester, NY; and San Antonio, TX.
The
research was intended to
- Identify
beliefs and behaviors in these populations
directly related to immunization against
influenza and pneumonia
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Increase understanding of physicians' attitudes
and behaviors related to these immunizations
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Assess impact and appeal of messages intended
to increase immunization in these target
populations
This
study showed that members of these under-immunized
groups are responsive to appeals to protect
the younger generation and act for their families.
To see the detailed results of this study and
find out more about this kind of research,
visit Influenza
and Pneumococcal Immunization.
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READII
is a multi-year demonstration project being
conducted in five sites (Chicago,
IL; Rochester,
NY; San Antonio,
TX; Milwaukee,
WI; and 19 counties in the Mississippi
Delta region) to better understand ways to
increase influenza and pneumococcal vaccination
rates for African-Americans and Hispanics 65
years of age and older. CDC is implementing
the READII project with the support of the
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services,
the Health Resources and Services Administration,
the Administration on Aging, the Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality, and other
federal agencies.
READII
sites have developed partnerships with public
health professionals, medical providers and
community organizations (e.g., large health
plans, insurers, minority health professional
organizations, churches, local community groups,
and civic leaders). They are collaborating
with these stakeholders to develop and implement
community-based plans focusing on evidence-based
interventions and innovative approaches to
increasing immunization levels.
Interventions
vary by site and are based on state and local
choice. READII interventions include:
- provider-based
interventions (assessment and feedback to
providers, multi-component provider education,
standing orders, and provider reminder/recall);
- increasing
community demand for vaccinations (client
reminder/recall and multi-component interventions
including communitywide and clinic based
education);
- enhancing
access to vaccination services (expanding
access in health care settings and reducing
out of pocket costs); and
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vaccination interventions in non medical
settings.
Each
site has developed multifaceted evaluation
plans containing outcome, intervention specific
and process measures.
At
the conclusion of the multi-year demonstration
project, CDC plans to share lessons learned
from the READII project.
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