Patients with chronic disorders
Gender
Age
Male n (%)
Female n (%)
< 65 years n (%)
≥ 65 years n (%)
Cardiovascular (n = 200)a
94 (47)
106 (53)
134 (67)
66 (33)
Pulmonary (n = 120)b
67 (56)
53 (44)
110 (92)
10 (8)
Hemodialyzed (n = 80)
46 (58)
34 (42)
33 (42)
47 (58)
Thyroid cancer (n = 100)
44 (44)
56 (56)
75 (75)
25 (25)
3 Results
The highest influenza vaccination rate in the 2015 autumn season was reported by patients with chronic pulmonary diseases (58 %), while the lowest one was among cancer patients (9 %) (Table 2). The difference between the influenza vaccination coverage in pulmonary patients and other chronically ill patients was significant (p < 0.05), while there was no such difference between the cardiovascular and hemodialyzed patients. The patients with thyroid cancer were less frequently vaccinated against influenza in the season compared with other chronically ill patients (p < 0.05) (Table 2a).
Table 2
Influenza vaccination coverage among patients of high-risk for the illness
Patients with chronic disorders | Vaccinated in current season | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Total – irrespective of previous vaccination; n (%) | Previous vaccination status | ||
Occasionally vaccinated before; n (%)a | Never before vaccinated; n (%) | ||
Cardiovascular (n = 200) | 64 (32) | 58 (29) | 78 (39) |
Pulmonary (n = 120) | 69 (58) | 5 (4) | 46 (38) |
Hemodialyzed (n = 80) | 27 (34) | 10 (12) | 43 (54) |
Thyroid cancer (n = 100) | 9 (9) | 37 (37) | 54 (54) |
Table 2a
Disparities in the influenza vaccination coverage among patients of high-risk for the illness
p-value | OR (95 %CI) | |
|---|---|---|
Irrespective of previous vaccination | ||
Pulmonary vs. cardiovascular patients | <0.05 | 2.93 (1.58 – 5.46) |
Pulmonary vs. hemodialysis patients | <0.05 | 2.68 (1.45 – 4.96) |
Pulmonary vs. thyroid cancer patients | <0.05 | 13.96 (5.98 – 33.51) |
Cardiovascular vs. hemodialysis patients | ns | 0.91 (0.48 – 1.71) |
Cardiovascular vs. thyroid cancer patients | <0.05 | 4.75 (2.01 – 11.54) |
Hemodialysis vs. thyroid cancer patients | <0.05 | 5.20 (2.21 – 12.59) |
Occasionally vaccinated before | ||
Pulmonary vs. cardiovascular patients | <0.05 | 9.80 (3.09 – 34.54) |
Pulmonary vs. hemodialysis patients | ns | 0.30 (0.08 – 1.07) |
Pulmonary vs. thyroid cancer patients | <0.05 | 0.07 (0.02 – 0.22) |
Cardiovascular vs. hemodialysis patients | <0.05 | 2.90 (1.35 – 6.73) |
Cardiovascular vs. thyroid cancer patients | ns | 0.69 (0.36 – 1.31) |
Hemodialysis vs. thyroid cancer patients | <0.05 | 0.23 (0.10 – 0.50) |
Never before vaccinated | ||
Pulmonary vs. cardiovascular patients | ns | 0.95 (0.52 – 1.76) |
Pulmonary vs. hemodialysis patients | <0.05 | 0.52 (0.28 – 0.95) |
Pulmonary vs. thyroid cancer patients | <0.05 | 0.52 (0.28 – 0.95) |
Cardiovascular vs. hemodialysis patients | <0.05 | 0.54 (0.29 – 0.99) |
Cardiovascular vs. thyroid cancer patients | <0.05 | 0.54 (0.29 – 0.99) |
Hemodialysis vs. thyroid cancer patients | ns | 1.00 (0.55 – 1.81) |
The patients with pulmonary diseases have the best awareness of being a risk group for a severe and complicated course of influenza (65 %), while hemodialysis and cancer patients have the worse perception of influenza infection (22 %) (Table 3). These differences were significant (p < 0.05) (Table 3a).
Table 3
Patients’ perception of being in a high-risk group for severe and complicated influenza
Patients with chronic disorders | Yes, my disease places me at risk for severe and complicated influenza; n (%) | No, my disease does not place me at risk for severe and complicated influenza; n (%) | I do not know if my disease places me at risk for severe and complicated influenza; n (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
Cardiovascular (n = 200) | 118 (59) | 18 (9) | 64 (32) |
Pulmonary (n = 120) | 78 (65) | 18 (15) | 24 (20) |
Hemodialyzed (n = 80) | 18 (22) | 20 (25) | 42 (53) |
Thyroid cancer (n = 100) | 47 (47) | 11 (11) | 42 (42) |
Table 3a
Disparities in the patients’ perception of being in a high-risk group for severe and complicated influenza
p-value | OR (95%CI) | |
|---|---|---|
Yes, my disease places me in a risk group for severe and complicated influenza | ||
Pulmonary vs. cardiovascular patients | ns | 1.29 (0.70 – 2.38) |
Pulmonary vs. hemodialysis patients | <0.05 | 7.42 (3.81 – 14.57) |
Pulmonary vs. cancer patients | <0.05 | 2.09 (1.14 – 3.85) |
Cardiovascular vs. hemodialysis patients | ns | 1.69 (0.89 – 2.95) |
Cardiovascular vs. cancer patients | ns | 1.62 (0.89 – 2.95) |
Hemodialysis vs. cancer patients | <0.05 | 0.31 (0.16 – 0.61) |
No, my disease does not place me in a risk group for severe and complicated influenza | ||
Pulmonary vs. cardiovascular patients | ns | 1.78 (0.68 – 4.69) |
Pulmonary vs. hemodialysis patients | ns | 0.52 (0.24 – 1.13) |
Pulmonary vs. cancer patients | ns | 1.42 (0.57 – 3.55) |
Cardiovascular vs. hemodialysis patients | <0.05 | 0.29 (0.12 – 0.71) |
Cardiovascular vs. cancer patients | ns | 0.80 (0.28 – 2.20) |
Hemodialysis vs. cancer patients | <0.05 | 2.69 (1.17 – 6.28) |
I do not know if my disease places me in a risk group for severe and complicated influenza | ||
Pulmonary vs. cardiovascular patients | ns | 0.53 (0.26 – 1.06) |
Pulmonary vs. hemodialysis patients | <0.05 | 0.22 (0.11 – 0.43) |
Pulmonary vs. cancer patients | <0.05 | 0.34 (0.17 – 0.67) |
Cardiovascular vs. hemodialysis patients | ns | 1.57 (0.86 – 2.89) |
Cardiovascular vs. cancer patients | <0.05 | 2.45 (1.33 – 4.52) |
Hemodialysis vs. cancer patients | ns | 1.55 (0.85 – 2.83) |
The influenza vaccine was found safe by more than half of hemodialyzed (64 %) and pulmonary patients (57 %) and by mere 29 % of cancer patients (Table 4). Cancer patients significantly more often declared a concern concerning the vaccine safety compared with the patients of the other risk groups (p < 0.05) (Table 4a).
Table 4
Perception of influenza vaccine safety among high-risk patients
Patients with chronic disorders | Yes, I believe the influenza vaccine is safe; n (%) | No, I do not believe the influenza vaccine is safe; n (%) | I do not know if the influenza vaccine is safe; n (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
Cardiovascular (n = 200) | 98 (49) | 18 (9) | 84 (42) |
Pulmonary (n = 120) | 68 (57) | 9 (8) | 43 (35) |
Hemodialyzed (n = 80) | 51 (64) | 3 (4) | 26 (32) |
Thyroid cancer (n = 100) | 29 (29) | 11 (11) | 60 (60) |
Table 4a
Disparities in the perception of influenza vaccine safety among high-risk patients
p-value | OR (95%CI) | |
|---|---|---|
Yes, I believe the influenza vaccine is safe | ||
Pulmonary vs. cardiovascular patients | ns | 1.38 (0.76 – 2.50) |
Pulmonary vs. hemodialysis patients | ns | 0.74 (0.40 – 1.37) |
Pulmonary vs. cancer patients | <0.05 | 3.24 (1.73 – 6.09) |
Cardiovascular vs. hemodialysis patients | <0.05 | 0.54 (0.29 – 0.99) |
Cardiovascular vs. cancer patients | <0.05 | 2.39 (1.26 –4.40) |
Hemodialysis vs. cancer patients | <0.05 | 4.35 (2.30 – 8.26) |
No, I do not believe the influenza vaccine is safe | ||
Pulmonary vs. cardiovascular patients | ns | 0.87 (0.29 – 2.62) |
Pulmonary vs. hemodialysis patients | ns | 2.08 (0.54 – 8.57) |
Pulmonary vs. cancer patients | ns | 0.70 (0.24 – 1.99) |
Cardiovascular vs. hemodialysis patients | ns | 3.19 (0.76 – 15.42) |
Cardiovascular vs. cancer patients | ns | 0.90 (0.28 – 2.20) |
Hemodialysis vs. cancer patients | ns | 1.20 (0.09 – 1.20) |
I do not know if the influenza vaccine is safe | ||
Pulmonary vs. cardiovascular patients | ns | 0.74 (0.40 – 1.37) |
Pulmonary vs. hemodialysis patients | ns | 1.14 (0.61 – 2.14) |
Pulmonary vs. cancer patients | <0.05 | 0.35 (0.19 – 0.66) |
Cardiovascular vs. hemodialysis patients | ns | 1.53 (0.82 – 2.86) |
Cardiovascular vs. cancer patients | <0.05 | 0.48 (0.26 – 0.88) |
Hemodialysis vs. cancer patients | <0.05 | 0.31 (0.16 – 0.58) |
The majority of patients with cardiovascular (52 %) and pulmonary disorders (54 %), and hemodialyzed patients (64 %) believe the influenza vaccine is effective, but only 39 % of cancer patients share this positive opinion (Table 5). Cancer patients compared with pulmonary and hemodialyzed patients were significantly more often unable to precisely answer the question regarding influenza vaccine effectiveness (p < 0.05) (Table 5a).
Table 5
Perception of influenza vaccine effectiveness among high-risk patients
Patients with chronic disorders | Yes, I believe the influenza vaccine is effective; n (%) | No, I do not believe the influenza vaccine is effective; n (%) | I do not know if the influenza vaccine is effective; n (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
Cardiovascular (n = 200) | 104 (52) | 24 (12) | 72 (36) |
Pulmonary (n = 120) | 65 (54) | 36 (30) | 19 (16) |
Hemodialyzed (n = 80) | 51 (64) | 6 (7) | 23 (29) |
Thyroid cancer (n = 100) | 39 (39) | 16 (16) | 45 (45) |
Table 5a
Disparities in the perception of influenza vaccine effectiveness among high-risk patients
p-value | OR (95%CI) | |
|---|---|---|
Yes, I believe the influenza vaccine is effective | ||
Pulmonary vs. cardiovascular patients | ns | 1.98 (0.59 – 1.96) |
Pulmonary vs. hemodialysis patients | ns | 0.66 (0.36 – 1.21) |
Pulmonary vs. cancer patients | <0.05 | 1.83 (1.07 – 3.35) |
Cardiovascular vs. hemodialysis patients | ns | 0.60 (0.33 – 1.11) |
Cardiovascular vs. cancer patients | ns | 1.69 (0.93 – 3.09) |
Hemodialysis vs. cancer patients | <0.05 | 2.78 (1.50 – 5.14) |
No, I do not believe the influenza vaccine is effective | ||
Pulmonary vs. cardiovascular patients | <0.05 | 3.14 (1.40 – 7.05) |
Pulmonary vs. hemodialysis patients | <0.05 | 5.69 (2.20 – 15.18) |
Pulmonary vs. cancer patients | <0.05 | 2.25 (1.07 – 4.72) |
Cardiovascular vs. hemodialysis patients | ns | 1.81 (0.62 – 5.36) |
Cardiovascular vs. cancer patients | ns | 0.71 (0.29 – 1.71) |
Hemodialysis vs. cancer patients | ns | 0.38 (0.13 – 1.09) |
I do not know if the influenza vaccine is effective | ||
Pulmonary vs. cardiovascular patients | <0.05 | 0.33 (0.16 – 0.69) |
Pulmonary vs. hemodialysis patients | <0.05 | 0.46 (0.22 – 0.97) |
Pulmonary vs. cancer patients | <0.05 | 0.23 (0.11 – 0.47) |
Cardiovascular vs. hemodialysis patients | ns | 1.37 (0.72 – 2.60) |
Cardiovascular vs. cancer patients | ns | 0.68 (0.37 – 1.26) |
Hemodialysis vs. cancer patients | <0.05 | 0.49 (0.26 – 0.93) |
The most common barriers for influenza vaccination reported by high-risk patients were the following: low awareness of disease incidence and severity (54 % hemodialyzed patients), lack of recommendation from healthcare workers (21 % cardiovascular and 20 % cancer patients), concerns about vaccine effectiveness (22 % pulmonary patients), while concerns about vaccine safety and a lack of reimbursement were raised rarely (1–9 % responders) (Table 6). A lack of recommendation from healthcare workers was statistically less often reported by pulmonary patients compared with the other groups of high-risk patients (p < 0.05). A lack of reimbursement was not found as an important factor discouraging from vaccination in any of the patient group (Table 6a).
Table 6
Barriers for influenza vaccination among high-risk patientsa
Stay updated, free articles. Join our Telegram channel
Full access? Get Clinical Tree
