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Flu Vaccination Among Adults With Current Asthma, 2020
More adults with asthma than adults without asthma reported receiving a flu vaccine
Influenza virus infection in lungs can worsen asthma symptoms, trigger asthma attacks, and lead to pneumonia.* Vaccination (shot or nasal spray) is the best protection against flu. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that people 6 months of age and older get a flu vaccination* every year to protect against getting a flu infection and complications from it. The flu nasal spray is only approved for ages 2–49 years.*
In 2020, a greater percentage of adults (aged 18 years and older) with asthma reported getting a flu vaccine in the past 12 months (53.7%) than did adults without asthma (45.6%). Also, flu vaccination was higher among females (sex at birth), adults aged >54 years, and non-Hispanic White persons compared with males, people aged <55 years, and NH Black persons or Hispanic persons (respectively) (Table 1). Flu vaccination percentage varied by state. The percentage of adults with current asthma who reported receiving a flu vaccine in the past 12 months ranged from 43.4% in Florida to 64.8% in Massachusetts (Table 2).
Table 1. Percentage With Flu Vaccination by Demographics and Asthma Status, 2020
| All adults | Adults with current asthma | Adults without current asthma | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Characteristics | Percent | 95% CI | Percent | 95% CI | Percent | 95% CI |
| Total | 46.3 | (45.9–46.7) | 53.7 | (52.4–54.9) | 45.6 | (45.2–46.0) |
| Male | 42.4 | (41.8–42.9) | 49.5 | (47.5–51.6) | 41.9 | (41.3–42.5) |
| Female | 50.1 | (49.5–50.6) | 55.8 | (54.3–57.3) | 49.3 | (48.8–49.9) |
| Age (year) | ||||||
| Age 18–34 | 35.2 | (34.5–36.0) | 41.1 | (38.7–43.6) | 34.7 | (34.0–35.5) |
| Age 35–54 | 39.7 | (39.0–40.4) | 47.9 | (45.8–50.0) | 38.9 | (38.1–39.6) |
| Age 55–64 | 50.2 | (49.4–51.1) | 62.2 | (59.5–64.8) | 48.9 | (48.0–49.9) |
| Age 65+ | 67.3 | (66.6–68.0) | 73.8 | (71.7–75.8) | 66.7 | (66.0–67.4) |
| Race & Ethnicity | ||||||
| NH White | 50.9 | (50.5–51.3) | 56.6 | (55.2–57.9) | 50.3 | (49.9–50.7) |
| NH Black | 37.7 | (36.6–38.8) | 46.1 | (42.7–49.5) | 36.7 | (35.5–37.8) |
| Hispanic | 35.4 | (34.2–36.7) | 47.3 | (42.9–51.8) | 34.6 | (33.3–35.9) |
| NH Other | 47.2 | (45.6–48.9) | 57.4 | (51.6–63.0) | 46.5 | (44.7–48.3) |
Table 2. Flu Vaccination† Among Adults Aged 18+ Years With Current Asthma¶
| STATE | % | 95% CI | SE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total§ | 53.7 | (52.4–54.9) | 0.63 |
| AL | 47.7 | (41.7–53.8) | 3.10 |
| AK | 52.2 | (42.8–61.3) | 4.77 |
| AZ | 47.3 | (42.9–51.8) | 2.28 |
| AR | 52.3 | (45.6–59.0) | 3.44 |
| CA | 55.0 | (48.1–61.7) | 3.49 |
| CO | 58.3 | (54.4–62.1) | 1.98 |
| CT | 62.0 | (56.9–66.8) | 2.54 |
| DE | 47.7 | (40.2–55.2) | 3.87 |
| DC | 59.4 | (51.9–66.5) | 3.75 |
| FL | 43.4 | (37.3–49.7) | 3.19 |
| GA | 48.9 | (42.9–54.8) | 3.05 |
| HI | 55.3 | (50.2–60.4) | 2.61 |
| ID | 49.4 | (43.3–55.5) | 3.15 |
| IL | 63.6 | (56.7–69.9) | 3.39 |
| IN | 54.2 | (49.8–58.5) | 2.22 |
| IA | 54.5 | (50.3–58.7) | 2.15 |
| KS | 50.7 | (46.5–54.9) | 2.15 |
| KY | 52.7 | (46.6–58.7) | 3.11 |
| LA | 45.6 | (38.8–52.6) | 3.53 |
| ME | 59.7 | (54.9–64.2) | 2.38 |
| MD | 59.9 | (55.7–64.0) | 2.11 |
| MA | 64.8 | (59.8–69.5) | 2.49 |
| MI | 49.9 | (45.2–54.7) | 2.44 |
| MN | 59.7 | (56.2–63.1) | 1.75 |
| MS | 49.3 | (43.8–54.8) | 2.81 |
| MO | 52.2 | (47.5–56.9) | 2.42 |
| MT | 54.0 | (49.1–58.8) | 2.47 |
| NE | 54.9 | (50.2–59.4) | 2.37 |
| NV | 48.4 | (40.0–57.0) | 4.40 |
| NH | 57.0 | (51.7–62.2) | 2.70 |
| NJ | 54.9 | (50.5–59.3) | 2.25 |
| NM | 54.4 | (48.4–60.2) | 3.04 |
| NY | 52.7 | (48.8–56.5) | 1.97 |
| NC | 54.6 | (49.0–60.1) | 2.85 |
| ND | 60.7 | (53.0–68.0) | 3.86 |
| OH | 49.7 | (45.7–53.6) | 2.01 |
| OK | 51.9 | (46.5–57.3) | 2.77 |
| OR | 55.3 | (50.4–60.1) | 2.46 |
| PA | 56.8 | (50.9–62.5) | 2.98 |
| RI | 59.5 | (53.1–65.6) | 3.21 |
| SC | 47.8 | (41.3–54.3) | 3.36 |
| SD | 63.5 | (54.8–71.4) | 4.27 |
| TN | 47.1 | (40.8–53.6) | 3.29 |
| TX | 56.4 | (49.8–62.8) | 3.34 |
| UT | 54.7 | (50.9–58.4) | 1.92 |
| VT | 60.7 | (54.7–66.4) | 2.98 |
| VA | 54.8 | (50.0–59.5) | 2.45 |
| WA | 57.5 | (53.8–61.2) | 1.88 |
| WV | 51.0 | (46.3–55.6) | 2.40 |
| WI | 53.9 | (47.4–60.3) | 3.31 |
| WY | 44.0 | (37.5–50.6) | 3.37 |
§Total includes 50 states and District of Columbia
Abbreviation: NH, Non-Hispanic; SE, standard error; CI, confidence interval
Data Source: Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System (BRFSS), 2020
*https://www.cdc.gov/flu/asthma/index.htm
†Includes “yes” response to question “During the past 12 months, have you had either flu vaccine that was sprayed in your nose or flu shot injected into your arm?”
¶Includes persons who answered “yes” to the questions: “Has a doctor, nurse, or other health professional EVER told you that you had asthma?” and “Do you still have asthma?”
