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From Our 2010 Archives Blacks in Nursing Homes Vaccinated Less Than WhitesLatest Senior Health NewsWEDNESDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- A new study finds a racial disparity in flu and pneumococcal vaccination rates among U.S. nursing-home residents: Blacks were 13% to 15% less likely to get vaccinated than whites. Researchers, who report their findings online Feb. 10 in the American Journal of Public Health, analyzed a 2004 survey of 11,448 white and 1,174 black nursing-home residents. Overall, the vaccination rate was 76.2% for influenza and 48.5% for pneumococcal infections. Blacks had a 13% lower vaccination rate for influenza than whites and 15% lower for the pneumococcal vaccine. The researchers write that "our findings suggest that targeted programs addressing racial disparities in immunization rates in nursing homes are warranted." -- Randy Dotinga Copyright © 2010 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SOURCE: American Public Health Association, news release, Feb. 10, 2010 |
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