Abstract
The last 2019/20 northern hemisphere influenza season overlapped with the first wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Italy was the first western country where severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spread to a significant extent. In this representative cross-sectional survey, we aimed to describe some opinions and attitudes of the Italian general population towards both influenza vaccination and the COVID-19 pandemic, and to identify potential modifiers of the decision-making process regarding the uptake of the 2020/21 influenza vaccine. A total of 2543 responses were analyzed. Although most (74.8%) participants valued influenza vaccination positively and declared that it should be mandatory, some misconceptions around influenza persist. The general practitioner was the main source of trusted information on influenza vaccines, while social networks were judged to be the least reliable. Younger and less affluent individuals, subjects not vaccinated in the previous season, and those living in smaller communities showed lower odds of receiving the 2020/21 season influenza vaccination. However, the COVID-19 pandemic may have positively influenced the propensity of being vaccinated against 2020/21 seasonal influenza. In order to increase influenza vaccination coverage rates multidisciplinary targeted interventions are needed. The role of general practitioners remains crucial in increasing influenza vaccine awareness and acceptance by effective counselling.
Highlights
Each year seasonal influenza carries an enormous health and socioeconomic burden [1,2].For instance, it has been estimated [3] that on average worldwide, a total of 389,000 (294,000–518,000)respiratory deaths are attributable to influenza annually; most of these deaths occur in older adults.The most recent Italian estimates [4] suggest that 7027 and 24,981 excess influenza-attributable deaths occurred in the 2013/14 and 2016/17 seasons, respectively.Vaccination represents the cornerstone public health intervention, most able to reduce the burden of seasonal influenza disease [1,5]
Most people agreed to some extent that: vaccines are crucial for public health and should be mandatory [74.8%]; influenza vaccination is a human right and should be offered to everybody who wants to be immunized [89.2%]; it is not acceptable to not provide an influenza vaccine to everybody who would like to have it [85.6%]
We exclude the hypothesis that in our sample the participation rate was higher among people interested in influenza vaccination, due to the fact that the respondents did not know the interview topic before starting the questionnaire. This survey demonstrates that the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy is likely to have some repercussions on the national level of influenza vaccination coverage for the season 2020/21
Summary
Each year seasonal influenza carries an enormous health and socioeconomic burden [1,2].For instance, it has been estimated [3] that on average worldwide, a total of 389,000 (294,000–518,000)respiratory deaths are attributable to influenza annually; most of these deaths occur in older adults.The most recent Italian estimates [4] suggest that 7027 and 24,981 excess influenza-attributable deaths occurred in the 2013/14 and 2016/17 seasons, respectively.Vaccination represents the cornerstone public health intervention, most able to reduce the burden of seasonal influenza disease [1,5]. Each year seasonal influenza carries an enormous health and socioeconomic burden [1,2]. It has been estimated [3] that on average worldwide, a total of 389,000 (294,000–518,000). Respiratory deaths are attributable to influenza annually; most of these deaths occur in older adults. Several populations [e.g., pregnant woman, older adults, young children, individuals ≥ 6 months of age affected by specific health conditions defined as increasing the risk of adverse influenza-related outcomes, and healthcare professionals (HCPs)] have been identified as principal targets of vaccination [1]; both recommendations and reimbursement policies differ significantly among countries [6,9]
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