Many Think They Don't Need Flu Shot

(October 23, 2009) - Many people who should be getting seasonal flu (Read about "Influenza") shots aren't getting them because they don't think they need them. Two in five at-risk American adults who would benefit from vaccination against seasonal flu are missing out on the protective shots because they believe they do not need them and are not inclined to be vaccinated. In addition, when you ask people if they intend to get them, only about half of those who say yes follow through.

Those conclusions come from a study published online this week in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Despite strong evidence that seasonal influenza vaccines are effective and safe, uptake of the vaccine among adults in the US falls short of targets. Researchers assessed whether asking unvaccinated individuals about their intentions to be vaccinated against seasonal flu predicted actual vaccination. They also looked at concerns about, and barriers to, vaccination as well as willingness to be vaccinated based on a recommendation by a healthcare provider.

The researchers analyzed data from two surveys covering over 1,500 American adults to measure the uptake of the vaccine and understand intentions and motivations for being vaccinated. The individuals surveyed fell into the high risk groups specifically recommended for vaccination by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

They found that by midseason, over a third of adults for whom the influenza vaccine was specifically recommended had been vaccinated, and another 17 percent said they intended to do so by the end of the season. Just over half of those who intended to be vaccinated followed through. However, nearly 45 percent of adults surveyed did not intend to be vaccinated at midseason and almost all remained unvaccinated by the end of the season.

Adults who had no intention of being vaccinated were more likely to cite a perceived lack of need as the main reason for not being vaccinated. Nonetheless, a substantial proportion of these individuals expressed willingness to be vaccinated based on a strong recommendation from a healthcare provider. Those who intended to be vaccinated said that the main reason they had not yet taken up the vaccine was because they had not got around to it.