Influenza immunization coverage in older hospitalized patients during winter 1998-99 in Carmarthenshire, UK

Objective: to determine the coverage of influenza vaccination in hospitaliz ed elderly patients in view of the 1998 recommendations of the UK Departmen t of Health, and the reasons for refusal in those unvaccinated. Design: questionnaire-based interview. Setting: acute elderly-care wards in a district general hospital in South W ales, UK. Subjects: 443 consecutive patients aged over 65 hospitalized during Decembe r 1998 and January 1999. Results: of 383 patients in whom influenza vaccination was recommended acco rding to Department of Health guidelines, only 48% received it during the w inter of 1998-99. The commonest reason given by those unvaccinated was lack of information from the general practitioner tin 26% of cases). Other reas ons were concern about vaccine side effects (21%), perceived good health (1 6%) and concern about vaccine efficacy (11%). Conclusions: influenza vaccine uptake in high-risk older hospitalized patie nts is still unsatisfactory. Improved education of the health-care staff an d the general public about the benefits of vaccine is necessary to improve uptake.