ATLANTA, Jan. 6 (UPI) -- People in U.S. jails and prisons are at increased risk for exposure to infection but most did not get the H1N1 vaccine in 2009-2010, health officials say.
A report published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report said 55 percent of U.S. jails did not receive any H1N1 vaccine in 2009-2010 and thus were excluded from the national vaccine campaign.
"Including both jail and prison inmates in emergency preparedness efforts, especially vaccination campaigns, is important for the health of communities overall," the report said. "Although most jail entrants are healthy men, jail populations can include those in the highest risk categories for influenza, such as pregnant women."
The median length of stay in a U.S. jail is 48 hours, but detention can extend for months. Future emergency preparedness efforts need to consider jail and prison inmates, a population not well targeted in the 2009 H1N1 vaccine campaign, CDC officials said.
