A new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine shows Hispanic seniors are less likely than whites to receive vaccinations against flu and pneumonia.
RAND Corp. researchers examined data from a 2008 Medicare survey of some 244,000 seniors. The study reveals 74 percent of whites received pneumonia immunization while 56 percent of English-speaking Hispanics and 40 percent of Spanish-speaking Hispanics did so. Seasonal flu vaccination rates were higher at 76, 68 and 64 percent, respectively.
"All Hispanic seniors are less likely to become immunized," according to study author Amelia Haviland. However, the disparity was most dramatic in new immigrant communities where Spanish is the predominant language. "These findings suggest new strategies may be needed to target an important problem," Haviland says.
Rand researchers discovered in communities of long-standing Hispanic populations, vaccination rates were more closely in line with those of whites. Furthermore, Hispanic seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans showed higher rates of pneumonia immunization than Hispanics in fee-for-service Medicare plans, regardless of language spoken.
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