Missed Opportunities of Flu Vaccination in Italian Target Categories: Insights from the Online EPICOVID 19 Survey

Overview

Journal Vaccines (Basel)

Date 2020 Nov 13

PMID 33182426

Citations 7

Authors

Andrea Giacomelli

Massimo Galli

Stefania Maggi

Gabriele Pagani

Raffaele Antonelli Incalzi

Claudio Pedone

Mauro Di Bari

Marianna Noale

Caterina Trevisan

Fabrizio Bianchi

Marcello Tavio

Massimo Andreoni

Claudio Mastroianni

Aleksandra Sojic

Federica Prinelli

Fulvio Adorni

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

We aimed to assess the reported rate of flu vaccination in the 2019/2020 season for respondents to the Italian nationwide online EPICOVID 19 survey. A national convenience sample of volunteers aged 18 or older was assessed between 13 April and 2 June 2020. Flu vaccine rates were calculated for all classes of age. The association between the independent variables and the flu vaccine was assessed by applying a multivariable binary logistic regression model. Of the 198,822 respondents, 41,818 (21.0%) reported having received a flu vaccination shot during the last influenza season. In particular, 15,009 (53.4%) subjects aged 65 years or older received a flu vaccination shot. Being 65 years aged or older (Adjusted Odds Ratios (aOR) 3.06, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 2.92-3.20) and having a high education level (aOR 1.34. 95%CI 1.28-1.41) were independently associated to flu vaccination. Heart and lung diseases were the morbidities associated with the higher odds of being vaccinated (aOR 1.97 (95%CI 1.86-2.09) and aOR 1.92 (95%CI 1.84-2.01), respectively). Nursing home residents aged ≥ 65 years showed lower odds of being vaccinated (aOR 0.39 (95%CI 0.28-0.54)). Our data indicate the need for an urgent public heath effort to fill the gap of missed vaccination opportunities reported in the past flu seasons.

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