News in brief - June 20, 2011

4 in 10 Americans got a flu shot for 2010-11 season - Food plate replaces food pyramid

4 in 10 Americans got a flu shot for 2010-11 season

Seasonal influenza vaccine coverage saw a slight uptick during the 2010-11 flu season, when 43% of Americans 6 months and older were vaccinated between September 2010 and March 2011, a report shows. During the 2009-10 season, 41% of the population received the vaccine.

Nationally, slightly more children 6 months to 17 years were immunized in 2010-11 (an estimated 49%) than during the 2009-10 season, when about 42% received the vaccine. Racial/ethnic disparities in child immunization coverage were eliminated in the 2010-11 season, according to the report, published in the June 10 issue of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6022a3.htm/). Immunization data for seven states (California, Louisiana, Michigan, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon and South Dakota) were not available when the CDC report was published.

The CDC said more work needs to be done to meet the Healthy People 2020 target of annually immunizing 80% of people 6 months to 64 years against the flu. The plan also aims to vaccinate 90% of adults 18 to 64 with high-risk conditions and those who are 65 and older.

Food plate replaces food pyramid

In an effort to simplify the public message on eating healthy, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture on June 2 released a new symbol to replace the food pyramid -- the food plate. The image shows what an ideal plate of food should look like and intends to reduce high obesity rates by urging Americans to eat nutritious food in appropriate proportions.

The USDA recommends that at least half of an individual's plate of food consist of fruits and vegetables (www.choosemyplate.gov). Grains, preferably whole grains, and protein should make up the remaining portion. For the dairy component, the department suggests that individuals drink fat-free or 1% milk.

The new nutrition symbol reflects the recommendations in the federal government's 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which was released in January. The guidelines focus on balancing calories with physical activity and encourages Americans to consume more nutrient-dense foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains and low-fat dairy products.