Over 65s feel flu vaccine campaign is “ageist” says study
Friday
27 April 2007
‘Older’ patients of 65 years or
more feel unfairly targeted by the current flu immunisation
campaign which automatically invites them into their GP surgery to
receive a flu vaccine.1
The study is one of two in this
month’s British Journal of General Practice which look at low
uptake of the flu vaccine in specific at-risk groups.
Many patients in this age group
interviewed as part of a study in Wales said they felt singled out
just because they were over 65. Some patients felt they were
not at risk of flu as they were fit and healthy. Others thought
that the vaccine itself would/did made them ill, and some thought
it would be ineffective due to the long (and necessary) run-in time
for manufacture of the vaccine.
Dr Meirion Evans, Department of
Epidemiology and Public Health, Cardiff University and lead-author
of the study said: “This study shows that health education messages
about influenza immunisation need to challenge the perception that
influenza carries no risk for healthy older people, but to avoid
undermining older people’s self image of being fit, strong and
healthy”.
The study, carried out in rural and
urban communities in Wales, interviewed 54 people over the age of
65. Eleven were regularly immunised, 18 had consistently
refused immunisation, 15 had defaulted on their vaccine, five had
never been offered the vaccine and five had recently been immunised
for the first time.
A second study on flu this month
looked at low take-up of the flu vaccine in asthma sufferers aged
16-65 years which stands at only 40%2. In
comparison to the Welsh study, patients’ fear of side effects was
noted as a common reason for not attending for a flu
vaccine.
Authors of the study in Exeter
concluded that improving vaccination reuptake in patients with
asthma was unlikely unless individual health needs were taken into
account.
Ends
Press contact: Heather Whitney,
RCGP Press Office on 0207 344 3137 press@rcgp.org.uk
Both studies appear in the May issue of the British Journal of
General Practice (BJGP).
1. Evans MR, Prout H, Prior L, et
al. A qualitative study of lay beliefs about influenza
immunisation in older people; Br J Gen Pract 2007; 57: 352-358
2. Keenan H, Campbell J, Evans
PH. Influenza vaccination in patients with asthma: why is the
uptake so low?; Br J Gen Pract 2007; 57; 359-363
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