The Article in Brief

Impact of the 2004 Influenza Vaccine Shortage on Repeat Immunization Rates

By Charles P. Schade, MD, MPH, and colleague

Background In 2004, there was a severe shortage of influenza (flu) vaccine in the United States. As a result, it was recommended that doctors give flu vaccinations only to people in high-risk groups. This study examines Medicare data in West Virginia to determine how doctors and patients were affected by the shortage of flu vaccines.

What This Study Found In 2004, total Medicare claims for flu vaccinations in West Virginia dropped by more than 50%, from more than 92,000 in 2003 to approximately 44,000 in 2004. Some patients received vaccines from sources other than their regular doctors, most often from a mass immunizer (an organization such as a public health clinic or pharmacy that offers vaccinations to large numbers of people). The number of Medicare beneficiaries receiving a flu vaccine fell by about 8% in 2004 compared with previous years. The percentage of Medicare recipients who received flu vaccine from the same clinician as the year before fell from 54% in 2002-2003 to 3% in 2003-2004.

Implications

• The 2004 vaccine shortage severely affected the ability of doctors to provide flu immunizations, an important preventive health service, to their patients.
• The shortage also appeared to disrupt the ongoing relationship between patients and doctors.
• Those who did not receive immunizations were most likely people who lacked transportation or were too ill to locate a different source of flu vaccine.