More Seniors Getting Pneumonia Shots, But Hispanics Lag Behind

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The overall proportion of Americans age 65 and older who have ever been vaccinated against pneumonia, a leading killer of seniors, increased from 53% to 60% between 2000 and 2008, according to new figures from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

However, Hispanic, lower-income, and inner-city seniors were less likely to be vaccinated:

  • Just 37% of Hispanic seniors reported ever being vaccinated against pneumonia, vs. 65% of white seniors and 45-46% of Asian and blacks seniors.
  • Almost two thirds (65%) of high-income seniors reported ever being vaccinated against pneumonia compared with less than half (46%) of poor seniors.
  • Only 52% of seniors who live in a large inner-city area, where residents tend to be low-income and minority, reported ever being vaccinated, compared with 64% of seniors who live in medium-size cities.

This AHRQ News and Numbers summary is based on data from 2010 National Healthcare Quality Report, which examines Americans’ access to, and quality of, health care.

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