Vaccination Coverage Among Persons with Asthma — United States, 2010–2011 Influenza Season

Asthma was the most common underlying condition among persons hospitalized with pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus infection in 2009. Although persons with asthma are not more likely than others to get influenza, influenza can make asthma symptoms worse, trigger asthma attacks, and lead to pneumonia or other complications that result in hospitalization and even death. During 1964-2010, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended that all adults and children aged ≥6 months with asthma receive an influenza vaccination annually. Beginning with the 2010-11 influenza season, ACIP expanded its annual vaccination recommendation to include all persons aged ≥6 months, while emphasizing that protection of persons at higher risk for influenza-related complications continue as a focus of vaccination efforts. To provide the first update of national vaccination coverage among persons aged ≥2 years with asthma since the new ACIP recommendation, CDC analyzed data from the 2010 and 2011 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). This report describes the results of that analysis, which indicated that influenza vaccination during the 2010-11 season among persons with asthma was 50%, up from 36% 5 years earlier. However, vaccination coverage across all age groups, including among those with health insurance, a usual place for health care, and one or more health-care visits in the past 12 months, remained well below Healthy People 2020 targets of 80% for children aged 6 months-17 years and 90% for adults aged ≥18 years who are at high risk. These findings highlight the need to educate health-care providers and persons with asthma about the importance of annual influenza vaccination.