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. 2005 Jul;20(7):650-2.
doi: 10.1111/j.1525-1497.2005.0118.x.

Brief report: risk factors for pneumococcal vaccine refusal in adults: a casecontrol study

Lesley S Miller  1 , Ekaterina V Kourbatova, Sandy Goodman, Susan M Ray
Affiliations

Brief report: risk factors for pneumococcal vaccine refusal in adults: a casecontrol study

Lesley S Miller et al. J Gen Intern Med. 2005 Jul.

Abstract

Background: Invasive pneumococcal disease is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Despite availability of an effective vaccine, many patients refuse vaccination.

Objective: To investigate patient characteristics and features of the patient-provider relationship associated with pneumococcal vaccine refusal.

Design: Case-control study using chart review.

Patients: Five hundred adults from the medical clinics of a 1,000-bed inner-city teaching hospital.

Measurements and main results: Independent risk factors for pneumococcal vaccine refusal included patient-provider gender discordance (odds ratio (OR)=2.09, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07 to 4.09); a visit to a not-usual provider at the time of vaccine offering (OR=2.26, 95% CI 1.13 to 4.49); never having received influenza vaccination (OR=7.44, 95% CI 3.76 to 14.76); prior pneumococcal vaccine refusals (OR=3.45, 95% CI 1.60 to 7.43); and a history of ever having refused health maintenance tests (OR=2.86, 95% CI 1.40 to 5.84).

Conclusions: We have identified both patient factors and factors related to the patient-provider relationship that are risk factors for pneumococcal vaccine refusal. By identifying patients at risk for pneumococcal vaccine refusal, efforts to increase vaccination rates can be better targeted.

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