Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2017 Sep 25;7(9):e017459.
doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-017459.

Factors associated with the uptake of seasonal influenza vaccination in older and younger adults: a large, population-based survey in Beijing, China

Shuangsheng Wu  1   2 , Jianting Su  1   2 , Peng Yang  1   2   3 , Haiyan Zhang  4 , Hongjun Li  5 , Yanhui Chu  6 , Weiyu Hua  7 , Chao Li  7 , Yaqing Tang  8 , Quanyi Wang  1   2
Affiliations

Factors associated with the uptake of seasonal influenza vaccination in older and younger adults: a large, population-based survey in Beijing, China

Shuangsheng Wu et al. BMJ Open. .

Abstract

Objectives: The present study aimed to estimate the influenza vaccination coverage rate in Beijing, China, and identify its determinants in older and younger adults.

Methods: A survey was conducted among Chinese adults using a self-administered, anonymous questionnaire in May-June 2015. The main outcome was seasonal influenza vaccination uptake. Multivariate logistic regression models were performed to identify factors associated with uptake.

Results: A total of 7106 participants completed the questionnaire. The overall coverage rate was 20.6% (95% CI 19.7% to 21.5%) in the 2014/2015 influenza season. Lower education (older adults: OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.2 to 2.1; younger adults: OR 1.9; 95% CI 1.4 to 2.6), having a chronic illness (older adults: OR 1.9; 95% CI 1.5 to 2.4; younger adults: OR 1.4; 95% CI 1.2 to 1.7) and recommendations from healthcare workers (older adults: OR 5.4; 95% CI 3.9 to 7.4; younger adults: OR 4.5; 95% CI 3.7 to 5.4) were positively associated with uptake; perceived side effects of vaccination had a negative impact (older adults: OR 0.6; 95% CI 0.4 to 0.7; younger adults: OR 0.8; 95% CI 0.7 to 1.0). Perceived susceptibility to influenza (OR 1.5; 95% CI 1.2 to 2.0) and awareness of the free influenza vaccine policy (OR 1.9; 95% CI 1.2 to 2.9) were only associated with vaccine uptake in older adults, while perceived effectiveness of vaccination (OR 2.2; 95% CI 1.7 to 2.8) was only a predictor for younger adults. Older adults were more likely to receive recommendations from healthcare professionals and perceive the severity of seasonal influenza, and less likely to worry about side effects of vaccination.

Conclusion: The influenza vaccination coverage rate was relatively low in Beijing. Apart from free vaccinations for older adults, age disparity in the rate between older and younger adults (48.7% vs 16.0%) may be explained by differing professional recommendations and public perceptions. Vaccination campaigns targeting increasing professional recommendations and public perceptions should be implemented in the coming years.

Keywords: adult; coverage; factors; influenza vaccine; vaccination.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

References

    1. Feng L, Shay DK, Jiang Y, et al. Influenza-associated mortality in temperate and subtropical Chinese cities, 2003-2008. Bull World Health Organ 2012;90 288B:279–88. 10.2471/BLT.11.096958 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. World Health Organization. Influenza (Seasonal). http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs211/en/ (accessed Mar 2017).
    1. Jefferson T, Di Pietrantonj C, Rivetti A, et al. Vaccines for preventing influenza in healthy adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2014;3:CD001269. - PubMed
    1. Jefferson T, Di Pietrantonj C, Al-Ansary LA, et al. Vaccines for preventing influenza in the elderly. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2010;2:CD004876. - PubMed
    1. Jefferson T, Rivetti A, Di Pietrantonj C, et al. Vaccines for preventing influenza in healthy children. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2012;8:CD004879 10.1002/14651858.CD004879.pub4 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources