Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-xfwgj Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-28T06:59:03.472Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Influenza immunization; vaccine offer, request and uptake in high-risk patients during the 1991/2 season

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

J. S. Nguyen-Van-Tam  and
K. G. Nicholson
J. S. Nguyen-Van-Tam
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health Medicine and Epidemiology, University of Nottingham Medical School, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
K. G. Nicholson
Affiliation:
Department of Microbiology, University of Leicester Medical School, Medical Sciences Building, Leicester LE1 7RH
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Current levels of influenza vaccine uptake in patients considered to be at high risk have been determined by means of a questionnaire survey. During March–April 1992, information was sought from 624 patients in Leicestershire, UK with either chronic cardiovascular or respiratory disease, or diabetes; questions related to current health status and the request, offer and receipt of influenza vaccine in the current and three previous seasons. Ninety-eight percent of all offers of immunization were made in the primary care setting, and vaccine was well tolerated as judged by the fact that 86% of vaccinees between 1988/9–1990/1 returned for immunization in the following year. However in the 1991/2 season the overall level of vaccine uptake was only about 41% which is at variance with the stated policies and practices of general practitioners. Opportunities were missed, in both hospitals and general practices, to publicise and offer immunization to individuals with vaccine indications. Future attempts to improve vaccine uptake should focus on increasing the role of hospital staff in influenza prevention, in addition to promoting better vaccine delivery through primary care.

Type
Research Article
Information
Epidemiology & Infection , Volume 111 , Issue 2 , October 1993 , pp. 347 - 355
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1993

References

REFERENCES

1.Howells, CHL, Vesselinova-Jenkins, CK, Evand, AD, James, J. Influenza vaccination and mortality from bronchopneumonia in the elderly. Lancet 1975; i: 381–3.Google Scholar
2.Serie, C, Barme, M, Hannoun, C, Thibon, M, et al. Effects of vaccination on an influenza epidemic in a geriatric hospital. Dev Biol Stand 1977; 39: 317–21.Google Scholar
3.Patriarca, PA, Weber, JA, Parker, RA, et al. Efficacy of influenza vaccine in nursing homes. JAMA 1985; 253: 1136–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4.Gross, PA, Quinnan, GV, Rodstein, M, et al. Association of influenza immunisation with reduction in mortality in an elderly population. Arch Intern Med 1988; 148: 562–5.Google Scholar
5.Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. Immunisation against infectious disease. Department of Health 1990. London: HMSO.Google Scholar
6.Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. Immunisation against infectious disease. Department of Health 1992. London: HMSO.Google Scholar
7.Kurinczuk, JJ, Nicholson, KG. Uptake of influenza vaccination by patients with serious cardiac disease. BMJ 1989; 299: 367.Google Scholar
8.Nicholson, KG, Wiselka, MJ, May, A. Influenza vaccination of the elderly: perceptions and policies of general practitioners and the outcome of the 1985–1986 immunization programme in Tent, UK. Vaccine 1987; 5: 302–6.Google Scholar
9.Ashley, J, Smith, T, Dunnell, K. Deaths in Great Britain associated with the influenza epidemic of 1989/90. Population trends. Office of Population Censuses and Surveys. London: HMSO, 1991; 65: 16–20.Google Scholar
10.Nguyen-Van-Tam, JS, Nicholson, KG. Influenza deaths in Leicestershire during the 1989/90 epidemic; implications for prevention. Epidemiol Infect 1992; 108: 537–45.Google Scholar
11.Wiselka, MJ, Nicholson, KG, Kent, J, Stern, M. Influenza and asthma. Lancet 1992; 339: 367–8.Google Scholar
12.Nguyen-Van-Tam, JS, Nicholson, KG. Influenza immunisation: policies and practices of general practitioners in England: 1991/92. Health Trends 1993; In press.Google Scholar
13.Norusis MJ/SPSS Inc. SPSS-PC+ V2.0 Base manual. Chicago: SPSS Inc., 1988.Google Scholar
14.Richards, IDG, Baker, MR. The epidemiology and prevention of important diseases. Edinburgh: Churchill-Livingstone, 1988.Google Scholar
15.Barker, WH, Mullooly, JP. Pneumonia and influenza deaths during epidemics. Implications for prevention. Arch Intern Med 1982; 142: 85–9.Google Scholar
16.Watkins, PJ, Soler, NG, Fitzgerald, MG, Malins, JM. Diabetic ketoacidosis during the influenza epidemic. BMJ 1970; 4: 89–91.Google Scholar
17.Housworth, J, Langmuir, AD. Excess mortality from epidemic influenza, 1957–1966. Am J Epidemiol 1974; 100: 40–8.Google Scholar