Heather J. Chin

Sunset Park, NY – With flu season here and January/February peak times just around the corner, health providers at Brooklyn’s Lutheran Medical Center and in hospitals and clinics throughout the city are trying to get both children and adults – including those over 65 years of age – to get their flu shot.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) named last week National Influenza Vaccination Week. Tuesday, December 9, was Children’s Vaccination Day. Thursday, December 11, was Senior’s Vaccination Day.

“[Parents and grandparents] may bring in a child for immunization, but they won’t for themselves,” said Norma Villanueva, M.D., M.P.H., the Network Chief of Child and Adolescent Health at Lutheran Medical Center.

According to the CDC’s influenza website, older Americans constitute a high-risk category for serious complications from flu in part because of the effects of aging on the immune system. On average, people 65 years of age and older account for about 60 percent of all flu-related hospitalizations and 90 percent of flu-related deaths each year.

In Sunset Park, the immunization rate for influenza in adults 65 years of age and older is 50 percent – 30 percent below the city’s target rate and below New York City’s overall vaccination rate of 60 percent, according to the city’s Community Health Profile. This is down from 67 percent in 2003, as listed in the National Health Profile.

This is a particular issue with communities of ethnic minorities, says Dr. Villanueva, because of confusion about a shot’s side effects, about whether additional shots are needed, and a general attitude of “I don’t need it, I’m healthy.”

According to the RAND Health Project’s annual November 2008 Midseason Flu Survey, in collaboration with the CDC, the Hispanic population in America has the lowest percentage of inoculation among large ethnic groups – 23 percent – and the lowest percentage of people saying they intend to be vaccinated – 11 percent. Overall, people surveyed cited lack of time and forgetfulness as the top two reasons for not getting a flu shot. Those refusing to get the shot this season claimed mainly that it wasn’t necessary, they don’t believe in flu vaccines or they might get sick.

“Latinos in general are not aware of the importance and so are not vaccinated,” said Dr. Villanueva.

“The fear is that the vaccine will make them sick. But it’s not a live vaccine. They might get a reaction [unrelated to the shot], like redness, so they don’t get the vaccine [again],” she added. “It’s misunderstandings and misinformation that can be cleared up with education. We have pamphlets available in five languages in the community: English, Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic and Russian.”

To combat these problems, the staff at Lutheran, with the help of the CDC and the Visiting Nurse Associations of America, is taking steps to improve both education and access to care for residents of Sunset Park and the country.

On a community level, walk-in clinic days are being planned for January or February – peak flu season – at the Lutheran Family Health Center and the VNAA of New York will continue to visit senior centers in the area. They are also reaching out to adults via their children, explaining the importance of vaccination for anyone who takes care of young children. Caretakers, children and health-care workers all high-risk groups, as well.

On a larger scale, the CDC is launching a program to increase flu vaccination rates among communities with large ethnic minority populations. The goal, according to Alan Janssen, MSPH, a Health Communications Specialist at the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, is to get baseline data for long-term efforts and research.

Earlier this season, Lutheran participated in the national Say “Boo!” to the Flu campaign, a Halloween-themed event offering free flu shots to anyone who came, as well as a toy for every child getting vaccinated. The CDC recommends that all children between 6 and 18 months of age get vaccinated. Hundreds of families turned out for the event.

New York City has 140 million dosages of the vaccine available for free until May.

Tags: Brooklyn, CDC, children's health, influenza, Lutheran Med, senior's health, Sunset Park, vaccines, VNAA