Many Latino Viejitos Don’t Get Flu Vaccines

Latinos who either speak Spanish or live in Spanish-dominant neighborhoods are more likely to miss pneumonic or flu vaccinations, according to a new report from the RAND Corporation that analyzed a Medicare survey of 250,000 people over the age of 65. They found that Latino seniors are more likely to miss immunizations, thus increasing their infection rates of the H1N1 flu for example, and whooping cough in California.

Predominantly Spanish speaking Latino seniors apparently had just a 40% immunization rate for pneumonia, English dominant Latinos came in at 56% and white seniors hit 74%. The same was true for flu immunizations, 64% for Spanish-speaking and 68% for English-speaking Latinos, 76% for whites.

Although the report tries to fault Latinos for being “linguistically isolated” and in “new destination” communities, the bigger issue is probably that outreach isn’t targeted to these populations. The ways in which the government distributes monies for media (e.g., getting the word out) is very political, and for lobby-less abuelitos and abuelitas, it would be surprising that their health didn’t sink to the bottom of the pile.

So, it’s up to those of us that love our viejitos to remind them to be immunized, as the recommendations are for seniors to be vaccinated with the season flu yearly, and against pneumonia once they hit 65.