Religious Affiliation and Flu Vaccination in Germany: Results of the German Ageing Survey

Abstract

Our aim was to examine the association between religious affiliation and the likelihood of taking the flu vaccine. Cross-sectional data (year 2014 with n = 7172) were used from the nationally representative German Ageing Survey—covering community-dwelling individuals aged 40 years and over. Multiple logistic regressions showed that compared with individuals without a religious affiliation, individuals with certain religious affiliations had a lower likelihood of taking the flu vaccine. More precisely, the likelihood of taking a flu shot was significantly associated with belonging to the Roman Catholic Church (OR: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.44–0.57), the Protestant Church (OR: 0.68, 0.60–0.77), the Evangelic Free Church (OR: 0.54, 0.35–0.82) and other religious communities (OR: 0.25, 0.14–0.45). The results remained nearly the same when we restricted our analyses to individuals aged 60 years and over (according to existing recommendations for flu vaccination). The association between religious affiliation and the likelihood of taking the flu vaccine was moderated by thoughts about religion and deeds for religion. This knowledge could help to improve the immunization coverage by addressing individuals with certain religious affiliations.

What Determines the District-Level Disparities in Immunization Coverage in India: Findings from Five Rounds of the National Family Health Survey

“…Religious beliefs have been significantly associated with immunization inequality in low-, middle-and high-income countries [32]. A recent study revealed that religious affiliation and the likelihood of receiving a certain vaccine were significantly correlated in Germany [33]. In addition, deprived groups, such as ST people in India, were more likely to live in remote areas with limited immunization facilities.…”