LANSING – State Representative Kate Ebli (D-Monroe) today announced her support for a recently introduced House plan to keep more seniors healthy and independent during the impending flu season. The plan requires hospitals and other health-care facilities to offer the flu vaccine to patients 65 and older who are admitted for at least 24 hours.
"Making vaccinations a routine part of a hospital stay will protect more of our loved ones from having to suffer through flu complications," Ebli said. "When it comes to our seniors, the flu can be a matter of life and death – more than 90 percent of those who die from influenza are 65 or older."
The plan requires that the patient consent to receiving the vaccine, that giving the vaccine must be medically advisable and that the hospital must possess an adequate supply of the vaccine in order to administer it. In addition to offering the vaccine to elderly patients, the measure requires hospitals to develop a plan for the management of their vaccine supplies.
Between 5 percent and 20 percent of Americans get the flu each year and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 36,000 people die from influenza each year.
Ebli pointed out that although many health plans and Medicare pay for the flu shot, many older residents have a hard time getting vaccinated because of limitations in mobility, transportation or support systems. A study in the Journal of Infectious Diseases concluded that health plans would be more effective by actively promoting the flu vaccine, rather than merely making it a covered benefit.
"What they say about an ounce of prevention really applies to the flu," Ebli said. "A simple shot can prevent most cases of the flu, and we should do a better job helping more of those at-risk to get vaccinated."