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Health Indicator Report of Deaths due to Influenza and Pneumonia

Influenza and pneumonia combined were the eleventh leading cause of death among New Jersey residents and ninth among all US residents in 2020. (Influenza and pneumonia are combined for ranking as a leading cause of death, however the majority of those deaths are due to pneumonia.)

Notes

Influenza and pneumonia are combined for ranking as a leading cause of death, however the majority (86.0 to 99.9%, depending on the year) of those deaths are due to pneumonia. Not all pneumonia deaths are related to influenza. Pneumonia can also be due to other viruses as well as bacteria. See [https://icd.who.int/browse10/2019/en#/J09-J18] for a complete list.

Data Sources

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Underlying Cause of Death File. CDC WONDER On-line Database accessed at [https://wonder.cdc.gov/Deaths-by-Underlying-Cause.html]
  • Death Certificate Database, Office of Vital Statistics and Registry, New Jersey Department of Health
  • Population Estimates, [https://www.nj.gov/labor/lpa/dmograph/est/est_index.html State Data Center], New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development

Definition

Deaths with influenza or pneumonia as the underlying cause of death. ICD-10 codes: J09-J18

Numerator

Number of deaths due to influenza and pneumonia

Denominator

Total number of persons in the population

How Are We Doing?

The age-adjusted death rate due to influenza and pneumonia had been generally declining for many years, however the rate increased in 2020. In the total population and among each racial/ethnic group, males have a significantly higher death rate than females. For 2018-2020, county rates per 100,000 population (age-adjusted) ranged from a low of 9.5 in Burlington to a high of 25.0 in Salem.

How Do We Compare With the U.S.?

The New Jersey age-adjusted death rate due to influenza and pneumonia is usually significantly below that of the US. However, in 2020, it was slightly above the US rate.

What Is Being Done?

The New Jersey Department of Health has several programs that track influenza and pneumonia infections or that [https://njiis.nj.gov/core/web/index.html#/mission track] and/or promote vaccination. Health care professionals are to immediately call in confirmed or suspected cases of influenza to the local health department. The [https://njiis.nj.gov/core/web/index.html#/vfcDocs Vaccines for Children Program] provides pediatric vaccines at no cost to doctors who serve children who might not otherwise be vaccinated because of inability to pay.

Evidence-based Practices

Annual influenza vaccination is the most effective method for preventing influenza virus infection and its complications.[https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/index.html ^1^] Vaccination against pneumococcal disease has been effective in reducing infections among seniors and persons with certain medical conditions.[https://www.cdc.gov/pneumonia/prevention.html ^2^]

Available Services

Find a Flu Shot: [https://vaccinefinder.org/] Request a copy of your immunization record from NJIIS: [https://njdeptofhealth.atlassian.net/servicedesk/customer/portal/4/group/14/create/65]

Health Program Information

Seasonal Flu: [http://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/flu.shtml]
Page Content Updated On 05/05/2022, Published on 10/27/2022
The information provided above is from the Department of Health's NJSHAD web site (https://nj.gov/health/shad). The information published on this website may be reproduced without permission. Please use the following citation: " Retrieved Tue, 19 March 2024 1:20:41 from Department of Health, New Jersey State Health Assessment Data Web site: https://nj.gov/health/shad ".

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