Influenza is a serious, preventable disease for older people. Vaccination saves lives and reduces healthcare costs. The UK should be vaccinating 85% of risk groups by 2010. The uptake of vaccination is influenced by four factors: the socioeconomic status of patients; the system of vaccination; vaccine mistrust and fear of side-effects; and health beliefs. An effective vaccination programme needs to target and be sensitive to the particular needs of older people. It should include a combination of strategies to promote vaccination (flyers, personal invitations; doctor's recommendation); acknowledgement of lay beliefs; special clinics organized around older people; and special arrangements for housebound older people and those living in care homes.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.