New Hampshire Immunization Update

This data brief summarizes the findings of the 2008 New Hampshire Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (NH BRFSS) related to influenza and pneumococcal vaccination among adult New Hampshire residents. Influenza Vaccine Use Among New Hampshire Adults Influenza, also known as the “flu, ” is a contagious respiratory illness that causes mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. The best way to prevent the flu is by getting a flu vaccination each year. 1 An influenza vaccination coverage level of 90 % for persons aged 65 years and older is a 2010 National Health Objective.2 Increasing vaccination coverage among persons who are less than 65 years of age and who have high-risk conditions is another national priority. The NH BRFSS is a population-based, random-digit dialed telephone survey of civilian, non-institutionalized New Hampshire residents aged 18 years and older. In 2008, approximately 42.6 % (95%CI: 41.0-44.2) of New Hampshire adults had reported receiving a flu shot during the past 12 months. Additionally, 0.4 % (95%CI: 0.2-0.6) reported receiving a flu mist, which is sprayed into the nasal cavity and is not a shot. Adults 18 years and older who have received a flu shot within the past year, New Hampshire, 2008, BRFS