Adults Getting Flu Shots. Older persons are especially vulnerable to the effects of influenza, so flu shots are increasingly recommended for certain vulnerable groups, particularly those age 65 and older. The number of older whites who reported getting flu shots rose slightly during the last two years, while there were no significant increases among African Americans and Hispanics. Although disparities persist between whites and others, the gap has not widened significantly. Counseling Patients to Stop Smoking.
Smoking cessation is a major goal to improve the nation's overall health.
Smoking is a major modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease, one of the six areas in the federal government's effort to remove racial and ethnic disparities in health. Members of all racial and ethnic groups are very interested in quitting smoking, and cigarette smokers are more likely to stop if their doctor advises them to quit. Physicians counseling their patients who smoke to stop is one of several very effective approaches to reduce cigarette smoking. Compared to the 1996-1997 survey, African Americans and whites who smoke were more likely than Hispanics to report being told by their physicians to stop. Among Hispanics, virtually no change was found in this behavioral intervention.