Many African-Americans don’t get flu shots because they don’t trust the vaccine, while whites are more likely to think the flu is not a big deal, a new study has found.
The study, conducted in part by researchers from the Maryland Center for Health Equity at the University of Maryland, College Park, looked at racial disparities in flu vaccinations.
The researchers found African-Americans worried about the safety of the shot more than the health risks of the flu.
The findings are important as the medical community tries to improve vaccination rates. Fewer than half of Americans get the flu vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Just 41 percent of African-Americans get vaccinated, compared with 47 percent of whites.