Most emergency department patients surveyed across 10 U.S. emergency departments were not up to date on annual influenza vaccination, according to a study published June 17 in the Journal of Emergency Medicine.
Researchers surveyed 3,285 adult patients between April and December 2024 in emergency departments in Chicago, Detroit, Durham, N.C., Philadelphia, Fresno, Calif., Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sylmar, Calif. They found that although awareness of the flu vaccine was widespread, significant gaps in vaccination remain.
Here are four notes:
- Nearly all participants (96%) were aware of the influenza vaccine, and 77.6% reported receiving a flu vaccine at some point in their lives. However, 58.4% had not received a flu vaccine within the past year and were not up to date on current recommendations.
- Patients without a primary care provider were more than two times as likely to be behind on influenza vaccination. Lower vaccination rates were also reported among uninsured patients and African American patients.
- Among participants who were not up to date on their influenza vaccination, 37% said they would accept a flu shot if it were offered during their emergency department visit.
- More than 1 in 5 study participants reported not having a primary care provider. The findings suggest emergency departments could play a larger role in improving vaccine uptake, particularly among medically underserved populations.
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