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Just half of Medicare beneficiaries received the influenza vaccine during the 2018-2019 season, according to findings published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Researchers found that uptake was even lower among beneficiaries from underrepresented populations. Moreover, 44.2% of beneficiaries missed an opportunity for the vaccine during one or more evaluation and management (E/M) visits.
Cho BH, et al. Ann Int Med. 2021;doi:10.7326/M21-1550.
“Clinicians are missing opportunities to vaccinate Medicare patients against flu, despite widespread availability of vaccines and no copayment,” Bo-Hyun Cho, PhD, a health economist at the CDC, told Healio Primary Care.
“Many Medicare beneficiaries are at higher risk for severe influenza-associated complications due to age or underlying medical conditions, so it is especially important that these patients get an influenza vaccine,” Cho added. “Health care providers can play a key role by making a strong recommendation and helping communicate with their patients about the importance of influenza vaccination.”
Cho and colleagues conducted a retrospective study of 31,666,731 individuals aged 19 years or older who were continuously enrolled in Medicare Part A or B fee-for-service plans during the 2018-2019 influenza season. Among them, 84.6% were aged 65 years or older, 55.1% were women and 84.2% were white. Also, 80.4% of beneficiaries had at least one high-risk condition.
Using claims reports, the researchers analyzed influenza vaccine uptake and missed opportunities, which were instances when patients could have been vaccinated but were missed for some reason, Cho said.
Among those with high-risk conditions, 74.2% had more than one condition and 47.7% had three or more conditions. Heart disease was the most common condition, according to the researchers. Endocrine disorders and kidney disorders were also common.
Accounting for all eligible beneficiaries, Cho and colleagues found that vaccine uptake was 50.5%. Average uptake increased to 56.1% among individuals with high-risk conditions.
The researchers found that uptake increased with age; only 25.4% of beneficiaries aged 19 to 49 years had an influenza vaccine claim compared with 34.8% of those aged 50 to 64 years, 49.2% of those aged 65 to 74 years and 59.8% of those aged 75 years or older.
Vaccine uptake was lower among Black (34.9%) and Hispanic (30.4%) beneficiaries compared with white beneficiaries (52.9%), according to the researchers.
Primary care providers administered 43.1% of the influenza vaccines among all beneficiaries and 44.8% of vaccines among beneficiaries with a high-risk condition. Pharmacists administered 60% of the vaccinations among beneficiaries without a high-risk condition.
The researchers concluded that vaccine uptake among Medicare beneficiaries “continues to be suboptimal.”
“Health care providers are a valued and trusted source of health information and can serve as key influencers in a patient’s decision to get vaccinated,” Cho said. “We urge providers to make a strong recommendation for an influenza vaccine, and to follow up with each patient during subsequent appointments to ensure they have the information they need to make informed decisions about vaccinations.”
