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Elderly black individuals at higher risk of colorectal cancer
Elderly black patients on Medicare are at a 31% higher risk for colorectal cancer (CRC) than white patients, according to a study done by Stacey A. Fedewa, PhD, MPH, and her colleagues at the American Cancer Society.
There were 2,735 cases of interval CRC identified between 2002 and 2011 for this study. The patients studied were between 66 and 75 years of age and were all enrolled in Medicare. A higher proportion of black individuals, 52.8%, received a colonoscopy from physicians with a lower polyp detection rate (PDR, a proxy for adenoma detection rate), compared with whites at 46.2%. The PDR, the number of patients in whom a polypectomy is performed divided by the number of colonoscopies performed in a 5-year period, is significantly associated with interval CRC risk (Ann Intern Med. 2017. doi: 10.7326/M16-1154).
Interval CRC, defined as cancer that develops after a negative result on colonoscopy but before the next recommended test, accounts for 3%-8% of CRC cases in the United States. These cases of CRC develop in certain populations because they were missed at the time of screening or between recommended screenings or surveillance intervals.
Results showed that the probability of interval CRC by the end of follow-up was 7.1% in blacks, 5.8% in whites, 4.4% in Hispanics, and 3.8% in Asians. Of the 79,396 Medicare patients that met enrollment criteria, 61,433 were included in the study. The average age of index colonoscopy was 70 years, and 2,735 cases of interval CRC were identified.
“Future studies examining this issue are warranted, given the higher overall risk for interval CRC in black populations as well as the larger disease burden in this group,” Dr. Fedewa said.
Medicare patient data were gathered from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program (SEER), a data collection of 18 cancer registries across the United States. Claims data were used to identify receipt and dates of patient colonoscopies and polypectomies, as well as the PDR of administering physicians. Data from SEER was used to identify cases of interval CRC. Medicare Enrollment data were used to determine patients’ ethnicities.
The primary exposures were ethnicity and physician PDR, a relative measure of colonoscopy quality. Ethnicities were categorized as non-Hispanic white, black, Hispanic, Asian, and other. Patients were followed until they died, were no longer enrolled in Medicare, or experienced interval CRC defined as a first case of primary invasive CRC diagnosed 6-59 months after the colonoscopy.
Elderly black patients on Medicare are at a 31% higher risk for colorectal cancer (CRC) than white patients, according to a study done by Stacey A. Fedewa, PhD, MPH, and her colleagues at the American Cancer Society.
There were 2,735 cases of interval CRC identified between 2002 and 2011 for this study. The patients studied were between 66 and 75 years of age and were all enrolled in Medicare. A higher proportion of black individuals, 52.8%, received a colonoscopy from physicians with a lower polyp detection rate (PDR, a proxy for adenoma detection rate), compared with whites at 46.2%. The PDR, the number of patients in whom a polypectomy is performed divided by the number of colonoscopies performed in a 5-year period, is significantly associated with interval CRC risk (Ann Intern Med. 2017. doi: 10.7326/M16-1154).
Interval CRC, defined as cancer that develops after a negative result on colonoscopy but before the next recommended test, accounts for 3%-8% of CRC cases in the United States. These cases of CRC develop in certain populations because they were missed at the time of screening or between recommended screenings or surveillance intervals.
Results showed that the probability of interval CRC by the end of follow-up was 7.1% in blacks, 5.8% in whites, 4.4% in Hispanics, and 3.8% in Asians. Of the 79,396 Medicare patients that met enrollment criteria, 61,433 were included in the study. The average age of index colonoscopy was 70 years, and 2,735 cases of interval CRC were identified.
“Future studies examining this issue are warranted, given the higher overall risk for interval CRC in black populations as well as the larger disease burden in this group,” Dr. Fedewa said.
Medicare patient data were gathered from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program (SEER), a data collection of 18 cancer registries across the United States. Claims data were used to identify receipt and dates of patient colonoscopies and polypectomies, as well as the PDR of administering physicians. Data from SEER was used to identify cases of interval CRC. Medicare Enrollment data were used to determine patients’ ethnicities.
The primary exposures were ethnicity and physician PDR, a relative measure of colonoscopy quality. Ethnicities were categorized as non-Hispanic white, black, Hispanic, Asian, and other. Patients were followed until they died, were no longer enrolled in Medicare, or experienced interval CRC defined as a first case of primary invasive CRC diagnosed 6-59 months after the colonoscopy.
Elderly black patients on Medicare are at a 31% higher risk for colorectal cancer (CRC) than white patients, according to a study done by Stacey A. Fedewa, PhD, MPH, and her colleagues at the American Cancer Society.
There were 2,735 cases of interval CRC identified between 2002 and 2011 for this study. The patients studied were between 66 and 75 years of age and were all enrolled in Medicare. A higher proportion of black individuals, 52.8%, received a colonoscopy from physicians with a lower polyp detection rate (PDR, a proxy for adenoma detection rate), compared with whites at 46.2%. The PDR, the number of patients in whom a polypectomy is performed divided by the number of colonoscopies performed in a 5-year period, is significantly associated with interval CRC risk (Ann Intern Med. 2017. doi: 10.7326/M16-1154).
Interval CRC, defined as cancer that develops after a negative result on colonoscopy but before the next recommended test, accounts for 3%-8% of CRC cases in the United States. These cases of CRC develop in certain populations because they were missed at the time of screening or between recommended screenings or surveillance intervals.
Results showed that the probability of interval CRC by the end of follow-up was 7.1% in blacks, 5.8% in whites, 4.4% in Hispanics, and 3.8% in Asians. Of the 79,396 Medicare patients that met enrollment criteria, 61,433 were included in the study. The average age of index colonoscopy was 70 years, and 2,735 cases of interval CRC were identified.
“Future studies examining this issue are warranted, given the higher overall risk for interval CRC in black populations as well as the larger disease burden in this group,” Dr. Fedewa said.
Medicare patient data were gathered from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program (SEER), a data collection of 18 cancer registries across the United States. Claims data were used to identify receipt and dates of patient colonoscopies and polypectomies, as well as the PDR of administering physicians. Data from SEER was used to identify cases of interval CRC. Medicare Enrollment data were used to determine patients’ ethnicities.
The primary exposures were ethnicity and physician PDR, a relative measure of colonoscopy quality. Ethnicities were categorized as non-Hispanic white, black, Hispanic, Asian, and other. Patients were followed until they died, were no longer enrolled in Medicare, or experienced interval CRC defined as a first case of primary invasive CRC diagnosed 6-59 months after the colonoscopy.
FROM ANNALS OF INTERNAL MEDICINE
Key clinical point:
Major finding: The risk of interval colorectal cancer was 7.1% in blacks, 5.8% in whites, 4.4% in Hispanics, and 3.8% in Asians.
Data source: A population-based cohort study involving 2,735 cases of interval colorectal cancer identified between 2002 and 2011.
Disclosures: The study was funded by the American Cancer Society and approved by the Institutional review board at Emory University. Data analysis for this research was supported by the American Cancer Society. Dr. Doubeni’s contribution was supported by an award from the United States National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health. Authors have declared no conflicts of interest.
ADHD medication may lower risk of motor vehicle crashes
Men with ADHD had a 38% lower risk of motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) when receiving ADHD medication, compared with months off medication. Women had a 42% lower risk, according to the results of a U.S. study.
Estimates suggested that up to 22% of MVCs in patients with ADHD could have been avoided if they had received medication during the whole length of the study, reported Zheng Chang, PhD, of the Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, and his colleagues (JAMA Psychiatry. 2017 May 10. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.0659)
“This study is the first, to date, to demonstrate a long-term association between receiving ADHD medication and decreased MVCs,” said Dr. Chang and his associates. If this result demonstrates a protective effect, it is possible that continuous ADHD medication use might lead to lower risk of other problems, such as substance abuse disorder, or provide long-term improvements in life functioning for people with ADHD.
This study was supported by grants from the Swedish Research Council and the National Institute of Mental Health, as well as grants to two of the researchers from the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Dr. Chang and the other researchers had no relevant financial disclosures, except for Henrik Larsson, PhD, who received some speaker’s fees and research grants from pharmaceutical companies outside this work.
Prescribing medication to ADHD patients does not guarantee they will take it. Therefore, there is a chance that some of the motor vehicle crashes that occurred during a month when a patient reportedly was on medication may have occurred on a day when the patient had not actually taken medication. Also, using ED visits to measure the number of MVCs has a major drawback: vehicular accidents do not necessarily result in ED visits. Therefore, the study by Chang et al. may not accurately report the benefits of ADHD medication on safe driving.
Management of ADHD is not limited to school or the workplace but extends to other aspects of life, such as driving, which clinicians must consider when prescribing. It also is important to keep in mind, while prescribing, that the progression of ADHD often involves a decrease in hyperactivity during adulthood, while inattention and impulsivity may continue, and that the latter two traits can lead to distracted driving. Another important variable is that MVCs involving individuals with ADHD often happen later in the evening, when their medications may have worn off.
Customizing and improving ADHD pharmacotherapy, while being mindful of effects, is the most sensible way forward.
Vishal Madaan, MD, and Daniel J. Cox, PhD, are at the University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville. Dr. Madaan reported receiving research support from Forest, Purdue, Aevi Genomic Medicine (formerly Medgenics), Sunovion, and Pfizer, as well as receiving royalties from Taylor & Francis. Dr. Cox reported receiving research support from the National Institutes of Health, Purdue, Johnson & Johnson, and Dexcom. They made these remarks in a commentary accompanying the study by Dr. Chang et al. (JAMA Psychiatry. 2017 May 10. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.0659).
Prescribing medication to ADHD patients does not guarantee they will take it. Therefore, there is a chance that some of the motor vehicle crashes that occurred during a month when a patient reportedly was on medication may have occurred on a day when the patient had not actually taken medication. Also, using ED visits to measure the number of MVCs has a major drawback: vehicular accidents do not necessarily result in ED visits. Therefore, the study by Chang et al. may not accurately report the benefits of ADHD medication on safe driving.
Management of ADHD is not limited to school or the workplace but extends to other aspects of life, such as driving, which clinicians must consider when prescribing. It also is important to keep in mind, while prescribing, that the progression of ADHD often involves a decrease in hyperactivity during adulthood, while inattention and impulsivity may continue, and that the latter two traits can lead to distracted driving. Another important variable is that MVCs involving individuals with ADHD often happen later in the evening, when their medications may have worn off.
Customizing and improving ADHD pharmacotherapy, while being mindful of effects, is the most sensible way forward.
Vishal Madaan, MD, and Daniel J. Cox, PhD, are at the University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville. Dr. Madaan reported receiving research support from Forest, Purdue, Aevi Genomic Medicine (formerly Medgenics), Sunovion, and Pfizer, as well as receiving royalties from Taylor & Francis. Dr. Cox reported receiving research support from the National Institutes of Health, Purdue, Johnson & Johnson, and Dexcom. They made these remarks in a commentary accompanying the study by Dr. Chang et al. (JAMA Psychiatry. 2017 May 10. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.0659).
Prescribing medication to ADHD patients does not guarantee they will take it. Therefore, there is a chance that some of the motor vehicle crashes that occurred during a month when a patient reportedly was on medication may have occurred on a day when the patient had not actually taken medication. Also, using ED visits to measure the number of MVCs has a major drawback: vehicular accidents do not necessarily result in ED visits. Therefore, the study by Chang et al. may not accurately report the benefits of ADHD medication on safe driving.
Management of ADHD is not limited to school or the workplace but extends to other aspects of life, such as driving, which clinicians must consider when prescribing. It also is important to keep in mind, while prescribing, that the progression of ADHD often involves a decrease in hyperactivity during adulthood, while inattention and impulsivity may continue, and that the latter two traits can lead to distracted driving. Another important variable is that MVCs involving individuals with ADHD often happen later in the evening, when their medications may have worn off.
Customizing and improving ADHD pharmacotherapy, while being mindful of effects, is the most sensible way forward.
Vishal Madaan, MD, and Daniel J. Cox, PhD, are at the University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville. Dr. Madaan reported receiving research support from Forest, Purdue, Aevi Genomic Medicine (formerly Medgenics), Sunovion, and Pfizer, as well as receiving royalties from Taylor & Francis. Dr. Cox reported receiving research support from the National Institutes of Health, Purdue, Johnson & Johnson, and Dexcom. They made these remarks in a commentary accompanying the study by Dr. Chang et al. (JAMA Psychiatry. 2017 May 10. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.0659).
Men with ADHD had a 38% lower risk of motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) when receiving ADHD medication, compared with months off medication. Women had a 42% lower risk, according to the results of a U.S. study.
Estimates suggested that up to 22% of MVCs in patients with ADHD could have been avoided if they had received medication during the whole length of the study, reported Zheng Chang, PhD, of the Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, and his colleagues (JAMA Psychiatry. 2017 May 10. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.0659)
“This study is the first, to date, to demonstrate a long-term association between receiving ADHD medication and decreased MVCs,” said Dr. Chang and his associates. If this result demonstrates a protective effect, it is possible that continuous ADHD medication use might lead to lower risk of other problems, such as substance abuse disorder, or provide long-term improvements in life functioning for people with ADHD.
This study was supported by grants from the Swedish Research Council and the National Institute of Mental Health, as well as grants to two of the researchers from the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Dr. Chang and the other researchers had no relevant financial disclosures, except for Henrik Larsson, PhD, who received some speaker’s fees and research grants from pharmaceutical companies outside this work.
Men with ADHD had a 38% lower risk of motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) when receiving ADHD medication, compared with months off medication. Women had a 42% lower risk, according to the results of a U.S. study.
Estimates suggested that up to 22% of MVCs in patients with ADHD could have been avoided if they had received medication during the whole length of the study, reported Zheng Chang, PhD, of the Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, and his colleagues (JAMA Psychiatry. 2017 May 10. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.0659)
“This study is the first, to date, to demonstrate a long-term association between receiving ADHD medication and decreased MVCs,” said Dr. Chang and his associates. If this result demonstrates a protective effect, it is possible that continuous ADHD medication use might lead to lower risk of other problems, such as substance abuse disorder, or provide long-term improvements in life functioning for people with ADHD.
This study was supported by grants from the Swedish Research Council and the National Institute of Mental Health, as well as grants to two of the researchers from the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Dr. Chang and the other researchers had no relevant financial disclosures, except for Henrik Larsson, PhD, who received some speaker’s fees and research grants from pharmaceutical companies outside this work.
FROM JAMA PSYCHIATRY
Key clinical point:
Major finding: Patients with ADHD have 22% less risk for motor vehicle crashes when they are on medication.
Data source: Data were gathered from commercial insurance claims of a national cohort of 2,319,450 patients with ADHD and ED visits for motor vehicle crashes.
Disclosures: This study was supported by grants from the Swedish Research Council and the National Institute of Mental Health, as well grants to two of the researchers from the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Dr. Chang and the other researchers had no relevant financial disclosures, except for Dr. Larsson who received some speaker’s fees and research grants from pharmaceutical companies outside this work.
New device that treats esophageal atresia in infants has been authorized
The FDA has authorized a medical device to treat infants up to age 1 year for esophageal atresia, called the Flourish Pediatric Esophageal Atresia Anastomosis.
The device uses magnets attached to two catheters to pull the upper and lower esophagus together, closing the gap for several days until a connection is formed. The catheters are then removed, and the infant can begin feeding via mouth.
Cook Medical provided data on 16 patients implanted with Flourish devices. All patients had successful joining of their esophagus within 3-10 days after receiving the device. A total of 13 of the 16 patients developed anastomotic stricture that required a balloon dilation procedure, a stent, or both to repair. Such strictures also occur with traditional surgery.
The Flourish device should not be used in patients older than 1 year. Other potential complications that may occur include stomach or mouth irritation near the catheter insertion sites and gastroesophageal reflux.
Learn more about the study at www.fda.gov/newsevents/newsroom/pressannouncements/ucm558241.htm.
The FDA has authorized a medical device to treat infants up to age 1 year for esophageal atresia, called the Flourish Pediatric Esophageal Atresia Anastomosis.
The device uses magnets attached to two catheters to pull the upper and lower esophagus together, closing the gap for several days until a connection is formed. The catheters are then removed, and the infant can begin feeding via mouth.
Cook Medical provided data on 16 patients implanted with Flourish devices. All patients had successful joining of their esophagus within 3-10 days after receiving the device. A total of 13 of the 16 patients developed anastomotic stricture that required a balloon dilation procedure, a stent, or both to repair. Such strictures also occur with traditional surgery.
The Flourish device should not be used in patients older than 1 year. Other potential complications that may occur include stomach or mouth irritation near the catheter insertion sites and gastroesophageal reflux.
Learn more about the study at www.fda.gov/newsevents/newsroom/pressannouncements/ucm558241.htm.
The FDA has authorized a medical device to treat infants up to age 1 year for esophageal atresia, called the Flourish Pediatric Esophageal Atresia Anastomosis.
The device uses magnets attached to two catheters to pull the upper and lower esophagus together, closing the gap for several days until a connection is formed. The catheters are then removed, and the infant can begin feeding via mouth.
Cook Medical provided data on 16 patients implanted with Flourish devices. All patients had successful joining of their esophagus within 3-10 days after receiving the device. A total of 13 of the 16 patients developed anastomotic stricture that required a balloon dilation procedure, a stent, or both to repair. Such strictures also occur with traditional surgery.
The Flourish device should not be used in patients older than 1 year. Other potential complications that may occur include stomach or mouth irritation near the catheter insertion sites and gastroesophageal reflux.
Learn more about the study at www.fda.gov/newsevents/newsroom/pressannouncements/ucm558241.htm.
Key clinical point:
Major finding: All of the 16 patients implanted with the Flourish device were successfully treated for esophageal atresia.
Data source: Data was provided by Cook Medical under a humanitarian device exemption. A total of 16 patients were implanted with the Flourish device.
Disclosures: This study was sponsored by Cook Medical.
Adult vaccination is low, with minimal improvement in recent years
Only minimal improvements have been made in vaccination coverage among U.S. adults in recent years, reported Walter W. Williams, MD, of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Atlanta, and his associates.
In an analysis of data from the 2015 National Health Interview Survey, the researchers looked at adult vaccine coverage for influenza, pneumococcal, tetanus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, herpes zoster, and human papillomavirus. Although vaccine coverage rose in several of the seven vaccines studied from 2014 to 2015, these were small increases, they noted (MMWR Surveill Summ. 2017 May 5;66[11]:1-28).
Two or more doses of hepatitis A vaccination coverage in 2015 was 9% for adults aged 19 years or older, similar to the estimate for 2014. Three or more doses of hepatitis B vaccination coverage among adults was 24.6% for adults aged 19 years or older in 2015, similar to that in 2014. However, hepatitis B vaccination coverage among health care providers aged 19 years and older was 64.7%, a 4.1% increase compared with 2014.
In women aged 19-26 years, 41.6% received at least 1 dose of human papillomavirus vaccine in 2015, similar to that reported for 2014. In adults aged 60 years and older, 30.6% reported receiving herpes zoster vaccination to prevent shingles in 2015, 2.7% higher than in 2014.
The results showed that racial and ethnic differences in vaccine coverage persisted for all vaccines researched in this report, with higher coverage for whites compared with most other groups such as African Americans and Hispanics. The differences widened for vaccines such as pneumococcal and herpes zoster. Whites also reported receiving vaccinations more often than other groups, the researchers said.
The data in this report are subject to some limitations, such as exclusion of people in the military and those residing in institutions. Self-report of vaccination may be subject to recall bias, as young adults likely are not able to remember accurately the number of vaccines they’ve received as children or as adults, the researchers noted.
The awareness of the need for vaccines by adults is low among the general population. Health care provider recommendations for vaccinations are strongly associated with a patient’s receiving vaccines. Integrating assessment of adult patients’ vaccination needs, recommendations, and offers of vaccination as a part of routine adult clinical care could greatly improve the adult vaccination rate, according Dr. Williams and his associates.
No conflict of interest was reported.
Only minimal improvements have been made in vaccination coverage among U.S. adults in recent years, reported Walter W. Williams, MD, of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Atlanta, and his associates.
In an analysis of data from the 2015 National Health Interview Survey, the researchers looked at adult vaccine coverage for influenza, pneumococcal, tetanus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, herpes zoster, and human papillomavirus. Although vaccine coverage rose in several of the seven vaccines studied from 2014 to 2015, these were small increases, they noted (MMWR Surveill Summ. 2017 May 5;66[11]:1-28).
Two or more doses of hepatitis A vaccination coverage in 2015 was 9% for adults aged 19 years or older, similar to the estimate for 2014. Three or more doses of hepatitis B vaccination coverage among adults was 24.6% for adults aged 19 years or older in 2015, similar to that in 2014. However, hepatitis B vaccination coverage among health care providers aged 19 years and older was 64.7%, a 4.1% increase compared with 2014.
In women aged 19-26 years, 41.6% received at least 1 dose of human papillomavirus vaccine in 2015, similar to that reported for 2014. In adults aged 60 years and older, 30.6% reported receiving herpes zoster vaccination to prevent shingles in 2015, 2.7% higher than in 2014.
The results showed that racial and ethnic differences in vaccine coverage persisted for all vaccines researched in this report, with higher coverage for whites compared with most other groups such as African Americans and Hispanics. The differences widened for vaccines such as pneumococcal and herpes zoster. Whites also reported receiving vaccinations more often than other groups, the researchers said.
The data in this report are subject to some limitations, such as exclusion of people in the military and those residing in institutions. Self-report of vaccination may be subject to recall bias, as young adults likely are not able to remember accurately the number of vaccines they’ve received as children or as adults, the researchers noted.
The awareness of the need for vaccines by adults is low among the general population. Health care provider recommendations for vaccinations are strongly associated with a patient’s receiving vaccines. Integrating assessment of adult patients’ vaccination needs, recommendations, and offers of vaccination as a part of routine adult clinical care could greatly improve the adult vaccination rate, according Dr. Williams and his associates.
No conflict of interest was reported.
Only minimal improvements have been made in vaccination coverage among U.S. adults in recent years, reported Walter W. Williams, MD, of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Atlanta, and his associates.
In an analysis of data from the 2015 National Health Interview Survey, the researchers looked at adult vaccine coverage for influenza, pneumococcal, tetanus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, herpes zoster, and human papillomavirus. Although vaccine coverage rose in several of the seven vaccines studied from 2014 to 2015, these were small increases, they noted (MMWR Surveill Summ. 2017 May 5;66[11]:1-28).
Two or more doses of hepatitis A vaccination coverage in 2015 was 9% for adults aged 19 years or older, similar to the estimate for 2014. Three or more doses of hepatitis B vaccination coverage among adults was 24.6% for adults aged 19 years or older in 2015, similar to that in 2014. However, hepatitis B vaccination coverage among health care providers aged 19 years and older was 64.7%, a 4.1% increase compared with 2014.
In women aged 19-26 years, 41.6% received at least 1 dose of human papillomavirus vaccine in 2015, similar to that reported for 2014. In adults aged 60 years and older, 30.6% reported receiving herpes zoster vaccination to prevent shingles in 2015, 2.7% higher than in 2014.
The results showed that racial and ethnic differences in vaccine coverage persisted for all vaccines researched in this report, with higher coverage for whites compared with most other groups such as African Americans and Hispanics. The differences widened for vaccines such as pneumococcal and herpes zoster. Whites also reported receiving vaccinations more often than other groups, the researchers said.
The data in this report are subject to some limitations, such as exclusion of people in the military and those residing in institutions. Self-report of vaccination may be subject to recall bias, as young adults likely are not able to remember accurately the number of vaccines they’ve received as children or as adults, the researchers noted.
The awareness of the need for vaccines by adults is low among the general population. Health care provider recommendations for vaccinations are strongly associated with a patient’s receiving vaccines. Integrating assessment of adult patients’ vaccination needs, recommendations, and offers of vaccination as a part of routine adult clinical care could greatly improve the adult vaccination rate, according Dr. Williams and his associates.
No conflict of interest was reported.
FROM MMWR