Study: Low Number of Patients With Chronic Respiratory Diseases Received Annual Flu Vaccination

Only 34.7% of commercially insured patients who were diagnosed with either chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma received their annual influenza (flu) immunization in the 2022 to 2023 respiratory season, according to an analysis from Cedar Gate Technologies. In the analysis, the company estimates that 65.5% of commercial members are unlikely to receive a flu vaccination this season.¹

Flu Immunization, COPD, asthma | Image Credit: Aron M - Austria | stock.adobe.com

“As flu season approaches, predictive data from Cedar Gate’s analytics tools can help health care organizations identify patients at higher risk of complications from the flu and develop outreach strategies to prevent or reduce the severity of the illness,” said Dee Ann Bialecki-Haase, MD, vice president and senior medical officer at Medical Mutual, in a statement. “Giving payers, providers, and employers data that help them intervene sooner and take preventive measures can improve patient outcomes and lower the total cost of care.”¹

Flu has been linked with an increased risk of severe illness and complications for those with COPD and asthma. In a 2022 study, investigators found that flu infections increased the risk of ischemic stroke (1.134), pneumonia (1.770), respiratory failure (1.097), and COPD acute exacerbations (1.338) for patients with COPD. Likewise, a flu infection can lead to pneumonia or other serious health complications, including ear infection and sinus infection, for those with asthma, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.^2,3

According to the CDC, an annual flu vaccination is the best way to reduce the risk of illness and serious complications, especially for vaccination in September and October prior to the upcoming respiratory seasons. The agency reported that vaccine coverage in adults during the 2023 to 2024 season was 44.9% compared with 46.9% in 2022 to 2023. For pediatric patients 6 months and older, patients receiving at least 1 dose of a flu vaccination during the 2023 to 2024 season decreased by 2 percentage points from 2022 to 2023.⁴

In the analysis, the per-event cost for treatment of flu-related illnesses were approximately 3 times higher for those with COPD and asthma at $952.01 compared with the average cost for someone without either chronic health condition at $359.52. The high costs were related to emergency room (ER) visits or inpatient hospital care with approximately 32.6% of patients with COPD going to the ER or being admitted to the hospital due to flu symptoms compared with only 8% of those without either chronic condition. Furthermore, the investigators stated that for patients without asthma or COPD, over 85% of flu treatment took place at a lower cost setting, including a physician’s office, urgent care center, or telehealth visit.¹

For those in the National Healthcare Benchmark Database from Cedar Gate, approximately 35.5% of those with COPD received a flu shot and 34.5% of those with asthma received one. Based on pharmacy claims, approximately 29.16% of eligible patients received a flu shot during the same time period.¹

REFERENCES

1. Despite Risks and High Costs, Analysis Finds Only 35% of COPD and Asthma Patients Get Flu Vaccines. News release. Cedar Gate. November 12, 2024. Accessed November 13, 2024.

2. Liao KM, Chen YJ, Shen CW, Ou SK, Chen CY. The Influence of Influenza Virus Infections in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2022;17:2253-2261. Published 2022 Sep 14. doi:10.2147/COPD.S378034

3. Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Flu (Influenza). September 2024. Accessed November 13, 2024. https://aafa.org/asthma/asthma-triggers-causes/respiratory-infections-flu-cold-asthma/flu-influenza/

4. CDC. Flu Vaccination Coverage, United States, 2023–24 Influenza Season. September 20, 2024. Accessed November 13, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/fluvaxview/coverage-by-season/2023-2024.html#cdc_report_pub_study_section_3-results