Akpalu Yao, Karaye Ibraheem, Anderson Julie, Mgbere Osaro, Horney Jennifer A
Brazos County Health Department, Bryan, TX, USA.
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Texas A&M School of Public Health, College Station, TX, USA.
Infect Dis (Auckl). 2019 Jul 15;12:1178633719863815. doi: 10.1177/1178633719863815. eCollection 2019.
Seasonal influenza constitutes an enormous public health burden. The 2017-2018 influenza season was the most severe since the 2009 novel Influenza A (H1N1) pandemic. The State of Texas, like other states, experienced unusually high and persistent influenza activity.
Data on confirmed cases of influenza and influenza-like illness (ILI) in Brazos County during December 2017 were collected by the Brazos County Health Department (BCHD) from medical records. Records of vaccine administered between January 1 and December 31, 2017 were collected from vaccination providers. The total number of influenza cases for 2017 was compiled from regular weekly influenza counts reported to BCHD by healthcare providers.
A total of 1651 cases of laboratory-confirmed influenza were reported in Brazos County residents in December 2017, 10 times more than that reported in December 2016. The highest rates of infection were in 2 ZIP codes where vaccination rates were also high. A total of 16 027 influenza vaccinations were given to individuals reporting a residential address in Brazos County in 2017. Vaccination coverage was lowest among adults aged 18 to 49, whereas those aged 65 or older and Hispanics were most likely to be hospitalized.
Overall, vaccination coverage in Brazos County, Texas is low, less than half of the Healthy People 2020 target. The development of health education materials and an increased use of social media, local television and radio, and communication methods that can reach parents, younger adults, and Hispanic residents are needed.
季节性流感构成了巨大的公共卫生负担。2017 - 2018年流感季是自2009年甲型H1N1流感大流行以来最严重的一季。德克萨斯州与其他州一样，经历了异常高且持续的流感活动。
布拉索斯县卫生部门（BCHD）从医疗记录中收集了2017年12月布拉索斯县确诊流感病例和流感样疾病（ILI）的数据。从疫苗接种提供者处收集了2017年1月1日至12月31日期间接种疫苗的记录。2017年流感病例总数是根据医疗保健提供者每周定期向BCHD报告的流感计数汇总而成。
2017年12月，布拉索斯县居民共报告了1651例实验室确诊流感病例，是2016年12月报告病例数的10倍。感染率最高的是两个邮政编码区域，其疫苗接种率也很高。2017年，共有16027人在布拉索斯县报告了居住地址并接种了流感疫苗。18至49岁成年人的疫苗接种覆盖率最低，而65岁及以上人群和西班牙裔最有可能住院。
总体而言，德克萨斯州布拉索斯县的疫苗接种覆盖率较低（低于《健康人民2020》目标的一半）。需要开发健康教育材料，并更多地利用社交媒体、当地电视和广播以及能够覆盖家长、年轻人和西班牙裔居民的沟通方式。
