Why Is This Treatment Important?
Flu shots reduce the risk of influenza, a serious and sometimes deadly lung infection that can spread quickly in a community or facility. Hospitals should check to make sure that pneumonia patients, particularly those who are age 50 or older, get a flu shot during flu season to protect them from another lung infection and to help prevent the spread of influenza.

Since a flu shot is effective for just one flu season, the period of time used to calculate this rate is the flu season (from approximately November through March), in contrast to other measures, which are generally collected throughout the year.

What the Scores Mean
High scores are good because it indicates that more patients received the recommended treatment. Low scores may not indicate poor care, the overall quality of a facility in addition to individual category scores should be considered.

Percent of Pneumonia Patients Assessed and Given Influenza Vaccination
March 2008 through April 2009

The data on this site is reported to the Department of Health and Human Services and is updated on a quarterly basis. The explanation of the data is courtesy of the Department of Health and Human Services. For more information, please visit the Hospital Compare website.