Immunization for vaccine-preventable diseases, particularly Hepatitis B, pneumococcal disease, HPV, and influenza remains a critical preventative health care issue for the Asian American population. Particularly vulnerable are those linguistically-isolated communities where economic and social hardships have both stalled the implementation of public health intervention programs targeted to this population, and contributed to the low level of risk awareness in the Asian American community that causes them to under-utilize preventive care.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, of the 1.25 million Americans living with chronic hepatitis B infection, approximately half are Asian American. In 2002, the hepatitis B-related death rate among Asian Americans was six times higher than the rate among whites. Ethnic-specific studies also reveal cervical cancer incidence rates are among the highest in the nation for certain API populations, such as Laotian (24.8 per 100,000), Samoan (18.1 per 100,000), Vietnamese (16.8 per 100,000) and Cambodian (15.3 per 100,000) women. Furthermore, the 2006 National Healthcare Quality Report states that Asians age 65 and over were more likely than Whites to lack immunization against the pneumonia virus. All of these diseases are vaccine-preventable.
While progress has been made in improving immunization rates for all Americans through the collaborative efforts of immunization coalitions, community-based organizations, corporations and government agencies, the need for linguistically and culturally appropriate immunization education and outreach continues to be an important public health issue for this diverse API population.
Through Promoting Prevention for Healthy Communities-a national educational outreach initiative to reach vulnerable Asian American communities, NAWHO coordinates a multi-faceted campaign of partnership-building, technical assistance, public and provider education in collaboration with six community-based organizations to reach Asian Americans and their health care providers, and eliminate missed opportunities in vaccinations and vaccine education. In collaboration with its partners, NAWHO is making strides in addressing these critical issues.
Join our discussion on what barriers to immunization exist and share strategies to address these challenges.
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