Medical Inspection – Health Blog

This pattern of missed opportunities has contributed to continued under-utilization of vaccinations among adults despite initiatives to improve vaccination levels. In 1990, the National Coalition for Adult Immunization issued the Standards for Adult Immunization, endorsed by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, the CDC, the NMA, and other agencies. Beginning in 1994, national and state-based [...]

Several reasons have been given to explain under-utilization of vaccines among adults. First, some members of the public and health care providers do not perceive adult vaccine-preventable diseases as a significant public health problems. Second, there are unnecessary fears among patients and providers concerning adverse events following vaccination. Third, unlike childhood immunization, adult immunization indications [...]

Influenza Vaccine The Influenza vaccine has reduced death, hospitalization, and clinical illness in years when vaccine and epidemic strains are similar. Influenza vaccine is up to 90 percent effective in preventing illness in young, healthy adults. Among institutionalized, high-risk older persons, those vaccinated experience a 30 percent to 40 percent reduction in incidence of illness; [...]

A. Burden of Adult Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Vaccine-preventable diseases are responsible for as many as 39,000 adult deaths each year in the U.S. (20,000 from complications of influenza infection, 14,000 from pneumococcal disease, and 5,000 from chronic hepatitis В infection) (CDC, unpublished data). By comparison, childhood immunization programs have drastically reduced the number of vaccine-preventable deaths [...]

The National Medical Association (NMA) is the oldest and largest national organization representing African American physicians and health professionals in the United States. Established in 1895, the NMA is the collective voice of more than 22,000 African American physicians and the patients they serve. Since its inception, the NMA has been committed to improving the [...]

ISSUE Immunizations have been primarily viewed as a preventive health measure for children, however, there has been no concentrated effort to promote immunizations as a preventive health measure to effectively decrease this national health disparity among African American adults.