Pacientes asmáticos apresentam um alto risco para complicações infecciosas por Influenza; assim sendo, é recomendada a vacinação anual para vírus Influenza para pacientes com asma. O pesquisador Earl Ford, do Centro para Controle e Prevenção de Doenças em Atlanta, nos EUA, conduziu um estudo para avaliar as taxas de vacinação para Influenza em adultos americanos.
Dentre os participantes com asma, 35.1% referiram terem sido vacinados em 1999, 36.7% em 2000 e 33.3% em 2001.Para os pacientes entre 18 e 49 anos, as taxas de vacinação foram 20.9%, 22.7% e 21.1% respectivamente nos anos indicados. Para pacientes entre 50 e 64 anos, as taxas foram 46.2%, 47.8% e 42.3%, respectivamente.
As taxas de vacinação aumentaram significativamente com a idade e com o nível educacional. As associações com sexo ou etnia foram inconsistentes durante os três anos. Os resultados sugerem que existe a necessidade de aumentar as taxas de vacinação parta o grupo etário entre 18 e 64 anos.
Asthma and Influenza Vaccination - Chest
(Chest. 2003;124:783-789.)
© 2003 American College of Chest Physicians
Asthma and Influenza Vaccination*
Findings From the 1999–2001 National Health Interview Surveys
Earl S. Ford, MD, MPH; David M. Mannino, MD, FCCP and Seymour G. Williams, MD
* From the Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA.
Correspondence to: Earl Ford, MD, MPH, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway NE, Mailstop K66, Atlanta, GA 30341; e-mail: esf2@cdc.gov
Study objectives: People with asthma are at high risk for complications from influenza; therefore, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends an annual influenza vaccination for people with asthma. Because little is known about such vaccination rates among adults, especially those aged 18 to 49 years and 50 to 64 years, we sought to estimate influenza vaccination rates among US adults.
Design: Cross-sectional analyses of the 1999 to 2001 National Health Interview Surveys.
Setting: US population.
Participants: Representative samples of US adults aged 
18 years.
Measurements and results: Asthma status and receipt of influenza vaccination during the past 12 months were self-reported. We found that 35.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 33.0 to 37.0%), 36.7% (95% CI, 34.7 to 38.6%), and 33.3% (95% CI, 31.6 to 35.0%) of participants with asthma reported having had an influenza vaccination in 1999 (n = 2,620), 2000 (n = 3,007), and 2001 (n = 3,582), respectively. Among participants aged 18 to 49 years, the vaccination rates were 20.9% (SE 1.2%), 22.7% (SE 1.2%), and 21.1% (SE 1.0%), respectively. Among participants aged 50 to 64 years, the vaccination rates were 46.2% (SE 2.6%), 47.8% (SE 2.3%), and 42.3% (SE 2.1%), respectively. Vaccination rates increased strongly with age and with education in each year. Associations with sex or with race or ethnicity were inconsistent during the 3 years.
Conclusions: The suboptimal vaccination rates among people with asthma aged 18 to 64 years suggest the need to increase influenza vaccination rates in this age group.
Key Words: asthma • health surveys • influenza • vaccination
