The Role of Attitudes in Understanding Disparities in Adult Influenza Vaccination

Current status and uptake of influenza vaccination over time among senior adults in the United States

“…Studies have shown that influenza vaccination coverage among US adults 65 y steadily increased from 30.1% in 1989 to 64.2% in 1997, but plateaued near 65% from 1998 to 2013 (6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11). The Healthy People 2000, 2010, and 2020 targets for influenza vaccination of adults 65 y were set at 60%, 90%, and 90%, respectively.…”

“…From 1989-1997, a steady increase in influenza vaccination coverage was observed following this change to an agebased recommendation. [6][7][8][9][10][11] A second factor that potentially influenced influenza vaccination uptake was payment for influenza vaccine by Medicare which began in 1993, removing financial barriers to vaccination for Medicare beneficiaries. Reasons for the leveling of coverage during the last decade are not well understood.…”

“…Reasons for the leveling of coverage during the last decade are not well understood. [6][7][8][9][10][11] In 2000-01, there was a substantial delay in influenza vaccine availability and distribution, and, in 2004-05, a shortage in vaccine supply occurred. 10 Vaccination coverage among adults 65 y varies widely by state.…”

“…During 1973-1985, vaccination coverage among adults 65 y ranged from 22-30% based on information from the United States Immunization Survey. [6][7][8][9][10][11] Starting in 1988, adults 65 y with or without chronic medical conditions were given equal priority for influenza vaccination. From 1989-1997, a steady increase in influenza vaccination coverage was observed following this change to an agebased recommendation.…”

The public acceptance of smallpox vaccination to fight bioterrorism in Japan: results of a large-scale opinion survey in Japan

“…According to the past studies on adult vaccination behaviors (influenza, anthrax, pneumococcal vaccination), factors associated with the increased likelihood of vaccination are the belief that a vaccine is effective in preventing the disease (prevention of sickness absence and the prevention of disease spread) [12]; the belief that side effects of vaccination are uncommon and/or mild [13]; the perception of high vulnerability to the disease; [14], past vaccination experience [15,16]; older age [17]; provider (physician) recommendation [18,19]; awareness (and attention paid to media news) of vaccination [20]; and ethnicity [21,22]. On the other hand, the most common primary demotivators are concern about safety and efficacy [23,24]. A perceived low likelihood of contracting the disease, cost concerns, and lack of time to obtain the vaccination lead to a rejection of the vaccination [12].…”