Arch Intern Med
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Influenza vaccination of elderly individuals (65 years or older) has been recommended in the United States since 1961, and consistent surveillance of vaccine use has been conducted since 1989. We examined national trends in influenza vaccination coverage in the United States from 1989 to 2002 among noninstitutionalized elderly individuals and identified factors associated with receipt of influenza vaccine. ⋯ By 1997, influenza vaccination coverage exceeded the Healthy People 2000 objective of 60% for the elderly overall, but even by 2002, this objective was still not achieved in the elderly black and Hispanic populations. Vaccination coverage seems to be leveling off, and innovative initiatives are needed to reach the Healthy People 2010 target of 90%, especially among racial and ethnic minorities.