Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #107148

Haomiao Jia, PhD, Department of Community Medicine, Mercer University School of Medicine, 1550 College Street, Macon, GA 31207, 478-301-4179, haomia@yahoo.com, Michael W. Link, PhD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, NE, Mailstop K-66, Atlanta, GA 30341-3717, Ali Mokdad, PhD, Behavioral Surveillance Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy NE, MS K-66, Atlanta, GA 30341, and James Holt, PhD, Division of Adult and Community Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy NE, MS K-66, Atlanta, GA 30341, Algeria.

In response to the U.S. influenza vaccine shortage during the 2004-05 influenza season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended vaccination for persons in identified priority groups and asked healthier adults to defer or forego vaccination. To monitor vaccination coverage, the 50 states and District of Columbia with assistance from the CDC added a series of vaccine-related questions to the ongoing Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) beginning November 1, 2004. Although most counties did not have sufficient data to calculate vaccination rates directly, small area analysis techniques were used to develop reliable estimates. Here we describe the analytic tools used and the monthly county-level influenza vaccination rates derived for October 2004 through February 2005. In order to determine time-trends and differences between counties, a random effect model was used. The underlying model included both person-level and county-specific covariates as predictors. A county-level random effect term was added to account for sources of variation. Finally, the weighted moving averages of neighboring counties were then used to smooth estimates for each county. For each month, the rate influenza vaccination was estimated for all 3117 U.S. counties. Rates were calculated separately for all adults, persons aged 65 and older, and those from priority groups. The findings showed large temporal-spatial variations of influenza vaccination coverage in the U.S.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize the strengths of the BRFSS as surveillance tool of current health
• Analyze spatial and temporal patterns of having influenza vaccination in population
• Recognize the strengths and weaknesses of different small area analysis methods

Keywords: Surveillance, Biostatistics

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation