Addressing Influenza Vaccination Disparities During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Addressing Influenza Vaccination Disparities During the COVID-19 PandemicEach year, influenza poses a substantial burden on communities and health care systems.During the 3 most recent influenza seasons (2016-2017, 2017-2018, and 2018-2019), influenza is estimated to have been associated with 29 million to 45 million illnesses, 14 million to 21 million medical visits, 490 600 to 810 000 hospitalizations, and 34 200 to 61 000 deaths each season in the US. 1 During the fall of 2020, both influenza and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2; the virus associated with coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19]) are anticipated to circulate.As of August 17, 2020, SARS-CoV-2 has been associated with more than 5.3 million infections and more than 168 000 deaths in the US. 2 Even a moderately severe influenza season in the presence of circulating SARS-CoV-2 would significantly amplify cases of acute respiratory illness, and more intensely stress health care personnel and resources, including hospitals, emergency departments, outpatient departments, and physicians' offices.However, less than half of US adults receive an influenza vaccine each year (Table ). 3 Even after the severe 2017-2018 influenza season, overall vaccine coverage remained at about 45% during the subsequent (2018-2019) season, and long-standing and substantial disparities, particularly by race and ethnicity, persisted