Influenza Vaccine Coverage in Aged-related Risk Groups in Poland, 2004-2007

Abstract

SUMMARYRoutine vaccination of certain groups of persons, including children and the elderly might provide additional protection to persons at risk for influenza complications and reduce the overall influenza burden.The aim of the paper was to estimate the influenza vaccine coverage in persons aged 0-4 years and >65 years in Poland in [2004][2005][2006][2007]. Official data collected by National Institute of Hygiene, National Institute of Public Health and Central Statistical Office were analyzed.Among vaccinations performed in all persons, the percentage of vaccinations performed in children aged 0-4 years varied from 1.6% to 2.0%. The estimated vaccination coverage in this age group of population was <2%. Among persons aged >65 years the influenza vaccine coverage increased from 7% in 2004 to 14% in 2007. Subjects aged >65 years represented 25-36% of all vaccinated individuals.The influenza vaccination rates among age-related risk groups in Poland remain low. No or very low increase in a total vaccination coverage rates, as demonstrated in our paper, indicates that meeting the WHO targets concerning influenza vaccination coverage will be very difficult, if no further action is taken concerning vaccine uptake.

Attitudes of the Medical Students from Two Czech Universities to Pandemic Flu A (H1N1) 2009 and to Influenza Vaccination

“…The highest vaccination coverage was found in the group of people over 65 years of age with chronic illness (40%) (6). Similar vaccination coverage patterns are also reported in other neighbouring countries (7,8).…”

Influenza vaccination rate among high risk group patients in primary health care in Greece

“…Data from Sweden show that vaccination rate in general population was 9.3% for the 2014/15 period, thus 23.2% of patients with multiple medical conditions were vaccinated, with 18% vaccination rate for individuals aged 65 and over (13). The uptake in Poland for people over 65 was 14% in 2007 (14), while in Spain it was 40% in 2014 (15). In Greece, the available data on vaccination coverage show that 11.4% of people that suffered from flu-like symptoms were vaccinated with seasonal influenza vaccine in the 2013/14 season (16).…”

Reasons for low influenza vaccination coverage – a cross-sectional survey in Poland

“…Influenza vaccination is a safe, effective, and cost-effective method of preventing influenza infections ( 11 ). However, the rate of influenza vaccination use in Poland is still unsatisfactory ( 7 ). Although it was growing systematically till 2004 (data from the years 1992-2002 indicate the growth of over 200 times, up to more than 100 doses per 1000 of population) ( 12 ), in the following years the trend was reversed, despite lack of problems with vaccination supply.…”

“…In the epidemiological season 2007/08, only 9.5% of the Polish general population received the vaccine ( 13 ). Among persons aged 65 and over, the vaccine coverage increased only from 7% in 2004 to 14% in 2007 ( 7 ). The coverage of 13.9% of elderly people in Poland in the 2007/2008 season is the lowest of the 11 studied countries ( 13 ).…”

“…This makes the influenza vaccination acceptance even more challenging. Recent reports suggest that the influenza vaccination coverage in Poland is far from satisfactory, actually one of the lowest in Europe ( 7 , 8 ). According to recent Vaccine European New Integrated Collaboration Effort Project publication, the number of influenza vaccine doses used in Poland during 2007-8 influenza season in high-risk groups (those aged over 65 and with underlying conditions) was lowest among the 15 studied European countries ( 9 ).…”