Racial and ethnic disparities in influenza and pneumococcal immunization rates among Medicare beneficiaries.

Influenza (commonly called flu) and pneumonia are infectious respiratory diseases that are vaccine-preventable. Yet together they represented the ninth leading causes of death in the United States among all ages in 2010. During the same year, influenza and pneumonia represented the seventh leading causes of death among people age 65 and older. In fact, more than 85 percent of flu and pneumonia deaths combined occurred among adults age 65 and older.1