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December 04, 2002

U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"Failure to Vaccinate Medicare Inpatients"

Archives of Internal Medicine (archinte.ama-assn.org) (11/11/02) Vol. 162, No. 20,; Bratzler, Dale W.; Houck, Peter M.; Jiang, Hui

Despite their vulnerability to influenza and pneumococcal disease, especially in a hospital setting where such diseases are more easily contracted, elderly patients are not often immunized against the illnesses, even when they are admitted to hospitals for other ailments.  In studying the phenomenon, scientists examined the records of 107,311 fee-for-service Medicare patients of the age of 65 years or older from across the United States between April 1, 1998, and March 31, 1999.  The patients had a diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, pneumonia, or stroke.  The researchers looked at their Medicare Part B claims to discover if either influenza or pneumococcal vaccines were paid for at any time close to the visit to the hospital.  Single hospitalizations accounted for 104,976 of the patients, of whom 33.5 percent had received pneumococcal vaccinations before the visit; 0.4 percent received the vaccine during the stay; and 1.0 percent were given the vaccine within 30 days of leaving the hospital.  For the 40,488 patients discharged between October and December, the top period for influenza vaccinations, 31.6 percent received the influenza vaccine before admission; 1.9 percent were vaccinated in the hospital; and 10.6 percent received the vaccine after their stay.  Among patients who were not vaccinated before their hospital visit, 97.3 percent were not given the influenza vaccine and 99.4 percent did not receive the pneumococcal vaccine.  The findings show that very few Medicare patients who are eligible for vaccinations during their stay at a hospital for other ailments are receiving those immunizations.

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ALL INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE.  THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.