Willingness to get vaccinated against influenza, pneumococcal disease, pertussis, and herpes zoster - A pre-COVID-19 exploration among the older adult population

K M Maertzdorf; M L Rietman; M S Lambooij; W M M Verschuren; H S J Picavet

doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.01.001

Willingness to get vaccinated against influenza, pneumococcal disease, pertussis, and herpes zoster - A pre-COVID-19 exploration among the older adult population

Vaccine. 2023 Feb 3;41(6):1254-1264. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.01.001. Epub 2023 Jan 4.

Authors

K M Maertzdorf¹, M L Rietman¹, M S Lambooij¹, W M M Verschuren², H S J Picavet³

Affiliations

¹ Centre for Nutrition, Prevention and Health Services, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands.
² Centre for Nutrition, Prevention and Health Services, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands; Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
³ Centre for Nutrition, Prevention and Health Services, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands. Electronic address: susan.picavet@rivm.nl.

Abstract

Background: Older adults are at increased risk for adverse health outcomes when having an influenza, pneumococcal disease, pertussis, or herpes zoster infection. Despite the ability of vaccinations to prevent these adverse outcomes, vaccination coverage is low in the European Union. This study aimed to explore the sociodemographic, lifestyle, and health-related characteristics associated with vaccination willingness for these vaccine-preventable diseases.

Methods: Cross-sectional data from wave 6 (years 2013-2017) of the population-based Doetinchem Cohort Study was analysed, with 3063 participants aged 46-86 years included. The outcome was the self-reported willingness to get vaccinated against influenza, pneumococcal disease, pertussis, and herpes zoster (willing, neutral, not willing). Multinomial logistic regression was used to investigate the socio-demographic, lifestyle and health characteristics associated with vaccination willingness.

Results: For influenza 36 % was willing to get vaccinated, 35 % was neutral and 28 % was not willing to get vaccinated. The willingness to get vaccinated for the relatively unfamiliar vaccine-preventable diseases was lower: 26 % for pneumococcal disease (neutral: 50 %, not willing: 23 %), 26 % for pertussis (neutral 53 %, not willing: 22 %), and 23 % for herpes zoster (neutral 54 %, not willing: 24 %). A relative lower willingness was found among those 46-64 years old (compared to those 65 years or older). Women, having a high SES, being employed and having a good health were all associated with lower willingness to get vaccinated, which was the case for all vaccine-preventable diseases.

Conclusions: Older adults were generally more willing to get vaccinated against influenza than for the three less familiar diseases. Characteristics of those less willing may be used to improve strategies to increase vaccination coverage. Additional studies are needed to investigate the willingness to get vaccinated during and after the COVID-19 pandemic that may have changed the feel of urgency for vaccination.

Keywords: Cohort study; Population-based; Vaccination; Vaccination willingness.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aged
COVID-19* / epidemiology
Cohort Studies
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Herpes Zoster* / prevention & control
Humans
Influenza Vaccines*
Influenza, Human* / epidemiology
Influenza, Human* / prevention & control
Middle Aged
Pandemics
Pneumococcal Infections* / prevention & control
Vaccination
Vaccine-Preventable Diseases* / epidemiology
Whooping Cough* / prevention & control

Substances

Influenza Vaccines