THE CARE SPAN Despite Small Improvement, Black Nursing Home Residents Remain Less Likely Than Whites To Receive Flu Vaccine

Vaccination is a key deterrent to influenza and its related complications and outcomes, including hospitalization and death. Using 2006-09 data, we found a small improvement in vaccination rates among nursing home residents, particularly for blacks. Nonetheless, overall vaccination rates remained well below the 90 percent target for high-quality care, and black nursing home residents remained less likely to be vaccinated than whites. Blacks were less likely to be vaccinated than were whites in the same facility and were more likely to live in facilities with lower vaccination rates. Blacks were also more likely to be noted as refusing vaccination. Strategies are needed to ensure that facilities offer vaccination to all residents and to make vaccination more acceptable to black residents and their families.