Abstract
BackgroundThe objectives of the survey were to identify the level of influenza vaccination coverage in China in three influenza seasons 2009/10 to 2011/12, and to find out potential predictors for seasonal influenza vaccination.MethodsIn September and October 2011, representative urban household telephone surveys were conducted in five provinces in China with a response rate of 6%. Four target groups were defined for analysis: 1) children ≤5 years old; 2) elderly persons aged ≥60 years old; 3) health care workers (persons working in the medical field) and 4) chronically ill persons.ResultsThe overall mean vaccination rate was 9.0%. Among the four target groups, the rate of vaccination of children aged ≤5 years old (mean = 26%) was highest and the rate of elderly people aged ≥60 years old (mean = 7.4%) was the lowest, while the rates of persons who suffer from a chronic illness (mean = 9.4%) and health care workers (9.5%) were similar. A subsidy for influenza vaccination, age group, health care workers, suffering from a chronic illness and living in Eastern China were independent significant predictors for influenza vaccination.ConclusionsThe seasonal influenza vaccination coverage rates among urban populations in selected cities and provinces in China were far below previously reported rates in developed countries. Influenza vaccination coverage rates differed widely between different target groups and provinces in China. Subsidy policy might have a positive effect on influenza vaccination rate, but further cost-effectiveness studies, as well as the vaccination rate associated factors studies are still needed to inform strategies to increase coverage.
Highlights
Influenza vaccination has been shown to be the most effective preventive measure to reduce influenza virus infection and its related morbidity and mortality [1,2,3,4]
The 2009 pandemic caused by the influenza A (H1N1) virus alerted the public to the harmfulness of influenza infection, and that event may have stimulated seasonal influenza vaccination rates in subsequent years
The remaining 82,477 (94%) households were discarded because the person who answered the phone refused to participate
Summary
Influenza vaccination has been shown to be the most effective preventive measure to reduce influenza virus infection and its related morbidity and mortality [1,2,3,4]. The primary strategy for preventing influenza is getting vaccinated against influenza virus annually – and despite public awareness and efforts by policy makers, physicians and health care providers – influenza vaccination rates and vaccine manufacturing capacities need to be increased substantially to achieve the degree of baseline preparedness required in case of a surge in immunization uptake when an influenza pandemic occurs, both for the world and China. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends to vaccine manufacturers what the seasonal influenza vaccine composition for the Northern and Southern Hemispheres should be. The influenza vaccine used in China belongs to the Northern Hemisphere, and the recommended vaccine virus strains of the most recent three influenza seasons The 2009 pandemic caused by the influenza A (H1N1) virus alerted the public to the harmfulness of influenza infection, and that event may have stimulated seasonal influenza vaccination rates in subsequent years. The objectives of the survey were to identify the level of influenza vaccination coverage in China in three influenza seasons 2009/10 to 2011/12, and to find out potential predictors for seasonal influenza vaccination
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