Assessment of Influenza Vaccine Uptake According to the Presence of a Chronic Disease

Abstract

Patients diagnosed with a chronic disease are at higher risk of influenza complications. This investigation aimed to estimate influenza vaccine uptake rates among healthy subjects and patients with chronic diseases, and to identify barriers to and facilitators of its uptake. This study was a cross-sectional investigation that targeted the general population in the Jazan region of Saudi Arabia. Data were collected via online platforms between October and November 2022. Data were collected via a self-administered questionnaire that assessed the demographics, influenza vaccine uptake, and factors associated with the uptake. A chi-squared test was used to investigate factors associated with the uptake of the influenza vaccine. A total of 825 adult subjects participated in the current investigation. The proportion of male participants was higher (61%) compared to females (38%). The mean age of the participants was 36, with a standard deviation of 10.5. Nearly 30% of the sample reported being diagnosed with a chronic disease. Among the recruited sample, 576 (69.8%) reported having ever received the influenza vaccine, and only 222 participants (27%) indicated that they receive the influenza vaccination annually. Only history of being diagnosed with a chronic disease was statistically associated with the history of ever receiving the influenza vaccine (p < 0.001). Among the 249 participants with a chronic disease, only 103 (41.4%) ever received the influenza vaccine and only 43 (17.3%) of them received the vaccine annually. The main barrier to the uptake was fear of side effects due to the vaccination. A minority of the participants indicated that they were motivated by a healthcare worker to have the vaccine. This suggests an area for further investigation to assess the involvement of healthcare workers in motivating their patients with chronic diseases to have the vaccine.

Period Prevalence of COVID-19 and Influenza Symptoms in 2022 Among Adults in Jazan, Saudi Arabia

“…Nonetheless, less than half of the participants in the current study reported having received the influenza vaccine in the past, and only 80 participants (13%) reported receiving the vaccine in 2022. The low uptake rate of the influenza vaccine revealed in the current investigation is similar to other reports in Saudi Arabia [14,[20][21][22][23][24][25][26].…”

“…Nonetheless, it must be noted that studies on the prevalence of respiratory symptoms related to seasonal influenza in Saudi Arabia are currently lacking. A majority of studies assessing seasonal influenza in Saudi Arabia are related to vaccination uptake rather than infection rates or the presence of respiratory symptoms [14,[20][21][22][23][24][25][26]. Nonetheless, studies assessing symptoms related to COVID-19 among the Saudi population revealed comparable findings.…”

“…The risk of acquiring COVID-19 is still present due to the appearance of new variants of the virus, including Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron, against which the developed vaccines showed variable effectiveness [13]. Similarly, protection against influenza infection has been reported to be less optimum due to factors associated with low uptake of the vaccine on an annual basis, especially among vulnerable groups [14].…”