This Article  • Full text  • PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Citing articles on Web of Science (20)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Related articles  • Similar articles in JAMA  Topic Collections  • Viral Infections  • Infectious Diseases  • Alert me on articles by topic  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

W. Paul Glezen, MD

JAMA. 1999;281:944-945.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

The goal of the influenza control program is to reduce mortality and serious morbidity due to influenza. Some indicators suggest that progress is being made. Vaccine coverage in persons aged 65 years or older has increased to as high as 75% in some areas, but the national average is closer to 65%.¹ Furthermore, studies have shown that immunization against influenza will significantly reduce the risk of hospitalization of elderly patients.² Not only is influenza vaccination effective in reducing serious morbidity but it is also cost saving, a characteristic of very few interventions in medicine.

Even though the influenza vaccine is effective, the proportion of high-risk persons vaccinated has not been sufficient to produce a noticeable reduction in excess mortality. Recent reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest that an increase in total excess mortality has occurred in the last 14 years despite increased . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Author Affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tex.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

RELATED ARTICLES

Influenza-Associated Morbidity and Mortality in Young and Middle-Aged Women
Kathleen Maletic Neuzil, George W. Reed, Edward F. Mitchel, Jr, and Marie R. Griffin
JAMA. 1999;281(10):901-907.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Effectiveness of Influenza Vaccine in Health Care Professionals: A Randomized Trial
James A. Wilde, Julia A. McMillan, Janet Serwint, Jeanne Butta, Mary Ann O'Riordan, and Mark C. Steinhoff
JAMA. 1999;281(10):908-913.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Influenza and Cardiovascular Disease: A New Opportunity for Prevention and the Need for Further Studies
Madjid et al.
Circulation 2003;108:2730-2736.
FULL TEXT  

Influenza-Related Hospitalizations among Children in Hong Kong
Chiu et al.
NEJM 2002;347:2097-2103.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Clinical Signs and Symptoms Predicting Influenza Infection
Monto et al.
Arch Intern Med 2000;160:3243-3247.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Influenza and Hospitalizations in Children
Glezen et al.
NEJM 2000;342:1752-1753.
FULL TEXT