Influenza Vaccination in Patients with Asthma: Why is the Uptake So Low?

Overview

Journal Br J Gen Pract

Specialty Public Health

Date 2007 May 17

PMID 17504585

Citations 19

Authors

Helen Keenan

John Campbell

Philip H Evans

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Patients with asthma are particularly susceptible to serious complications from influenza. The Chief Medical Officer recommends annual influenza vaccination for adult patients with asthma. The uptake of influenza vaccination by patients with asthma is only 40% and, unlike other high-risk groups, has failed to increase in recent years.

Aim: To investigate the contribution of sociodemographic factors, asthma morbidity, and health beliefs to influenza vaccination uptake in patients with asthma.

Design Of Study: Cross-sectional questionnaire study.

Setting: Single urban British general practice, Exeter, UK.

Method: A questionnaire survey was sent to adult patients with asthma. Participants were aged 16-65 years, were receiving beta(2) agonists and inhaled steroids, and had been invited for influenza vaccination in September 2003. Data were examined using univariate analysis and logistic regression.

Results: A total of 136/204 (66.7%) patients responded to the survey. Influenza vaccination uptake in the study population was 40%. Younger patients were less likely to have undergone vaccination than older patients. There was no difference in vaccination uptake rates between groups of patients defined by other sociodemographic factors. Asthma morbidity was similar in vaccinated and non-vaccinated groups of patients. Vaccinated individuals had a greater belief in the efficacy of the vaccination and medical advice regarding the vaccination, and felt more susceptible to influenza and its complications when compared with non-vaccinated individuals. A fear of side-effects was associated with declining the invitation for vaccination. These health beliefs were the only independent predictors of uptake of influenza vaccination among this group of patients with asthma.

Conclusion: Improving vaccination uptake in patients with asthma is unlikely unless individual health beliefs are taken into account.

Citing Articles

Improving influenza vaccine uptake in clinical risk groups: patient, provider and commissioner perspectives on the acceptability and feasibility of expanding delivery pathways in England.

Kasstan B, Lazarus R, Ali I, Mounier-Jack S BMJ Public Health. 2025; 2(1):e000929.

PMID: 40018235 PMC: 11812908. DOI: 10.1136/bmjph-2024-000929.

Frequency of Asthma Exacerbations and Upper Respiratory Tract Infections Among Adults With Asthma According to Vaccination Status: Does the annual influenza vaccine have a protective effect?.

Al Kharusi Z, Kalbani R, Al-Hadhrami R Sultan Qaboos Univ Med J. 2024; 24(1):70-75.

PMID: 38434454 PMC: 10906763. DOI: 10.18295/squmj.9.2023.053.

Uptake of COVID-19 and influenza vaccines in relation to preexisting chronic conditions in the European countries.

Tang S, Ji L, Bishwajit G, Guo S BMC Geriatr. 2024; 24(1):56.

PMID: 38216899 PMC: 10785450. DOI: 10.1186/s12877-023-04623-5.

Examining Influenza Vaccination Patterns Among Young Adults with Asthma: Insights into Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices.

Al-Qerem W, Alassi A, Jarab A, Al Bawab A, Hammad A, Alasmari F Patient Prefer Adherence. 2023; 17:2899-2913.

PMID: 38027079 PMC: 10644889. DOI: 10.2147/PPA.S436622.

Low coverage of influenza vaccination among Chinese children aged 12-23 months: Prevalence and associated factors.

Lau J, Ng C, Wu A, Ma Y, Lau M PLoS One. 2018; 13(10):e0205561.

PMID: 30304015 PMC: 6179290. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205561.

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