Trends, Coverage and Influencing Determinants of Influenza Vaccination in the Elderly: A Population-Based National Survey in Spain (2006–2017)

Abstract

Influenza is a significant public health problem and the elderly are at a greater risk of contracting the disease. The vaccination coverage of the elderly is below the Spanish target of 65% for each influenza season. The aims of this study were to report the coverage of influenza vaccination in Spain among the population aged ≥65 years and high-risk groups for suffering chronic diseases, to analyze the time trends from 2006 to 2017 and to identify the factors which affect vaccination coverage. A nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted including 20,753 non-institutionalized individuals aged ≥65 years who had participated in the Spanish National Health Surveys in 2006, 2011/2012, and 2017. Sociodemographic, health-related variables, and influenza vaccination data were used. A logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the variables associated with influenza vaccination. Influenza vaccination coverage was 60%. By chronic condition, older people with high cholesterol levels and cancer had the lowest vaccination coverage (62.41% and 60.73%, respectively). This coverage declined from 2006 to 2017 in both groups. Higher influenza vaccination was associated with males, Spanish nationality, normal social support perceived, polypharmacy, worse perceived health, participation in other preventive measures, and increasing age and the number of chronic diseases.

Vaccination Against Influenza Among Lebanese Health Care Workers in the Era of Coronavirus Disease 2019 

“…Regarding marital status, we found that being separated or divorced decreased the vaccination uptake. This result is consistent with the ndings of the study that found that being widowed increased the decision to become immunized while being separated or divorced decreased it [45]. Despite some authors found no relationship between those variables, marital status is considered an important predictor of healthcare utilization.…”

Time Trends (2012–2020), Sex Differences and Predictors for Influenza Vaccination Uptake among Individuals with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Spain

“…A remarkable result of our investigation is that, in contrast to the COPD population, total vaccination uptake among non-COPD women was significantly higher than among non-COPD men. Higher uptake by women than by men in the general population was reported in many, but not all, investigations conducted in Spain [ 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 ]. In our country, previous studies showed that uptake may be mediated by age, with better rates for males among those aged ≥65 years and for females among those under this age [ 45 ].…”

“…Regarding the age of vaccination, most of the studies carried out in Spain [ 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 50 , 51 ] and in other countries, such as the United States, Canada, Germany, and other European regions [ 24 , 52 ], agree that in individuals older than 64 years, the probability of vaccination is higher than in the younger groups [ 30 , 50 ]. So, in the study carried out by Saeed et al, a vaccination rate of only 44.8% was achieved in COPD patients aged between 40 and 64 years [ 53 ].…”

Patients’ Perception and Knowledge about Influenza and Pneumococcal Vaccination during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Online Survey in Patients at Risk of Infections

“…Our results are consistent with those described in the literature. Age and number of chronic conditions were positively associated with vaccination against influenza and pneumococcal diseases in Belgium [20] and Spain [21] in at-risk groups. Similarly, patients with COPD, HIV, and solid organ transplantation (SOT) were more likely to be vaccinated against influenza and pneumococcal diseases than patients with heart failure.…”