Sanofi Pasteur, 410 Thames Valley Park Drive, Reading, RG6 1PT, UK.
Sanofi Pasteur, Campus Sanofi Lyon Carteret, A2-6ème et. 14, Espace Henry Vallée, 69007, Lyon, France.
BMC Public Health. 2021 Sep 24;21(1):1734. doi: 10.1186/s12889-021-11736-2.
In the UK, annual influenza vaccination is currently recommended for adults aged 16-64 years who are in a clinical at-risk group. Despite recommendations, rates of vaccine uptake in the UK have historically been low and below national and international targets. This study aims to analyse vaccine uptake among adults in clinical at-risk groups from the 2015-2016 influenza season to the present.
A retrospective analysis of influenza vaccine coverage in the UK was conducted using data extracted from publicly available sources. Clinically at-risk individuals (as defined by Public Health England), including pregnant women, aged 16-64 years, were included in this study.
Influenza vaccination coverage rates across the UK in adults aged 16-64 years in a clinical at-risk group have been consistently low over the past 5 years, with only 48.0, 42.4, 44.1 and 52.4% of eligible patients in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland receiving their annual influenza vaccination during the 2018-2019 influenza season. Influenza vaccine coverage was lowest in patients with morbid obesity and highest in patients with diabetes in 2018-2019. Coverage rates were below current national ambitions of ≥75% in all clinical risk groups. In these clinical at-risk groups, influenza vaccine coverage decreased between 2015 and 2019, and there was considerable regional variation.
Uptake of the influenza vaccine by adults aged 16-64 years in a clinical at-risk group was substantially below the national ambitions. As a result, many individuals in the UK remain at high risk of developing severe influenza or complications. Given that people who are vulnerable to COVID-19 are also at increased risk of complications from influenza, during the 2020-2021 season, there is a heightened need for healthcare professionals across the UK to address suboptimal vaccine uptake, particularly in at-risk patients. Healthcare professionals and policymakers should consider measures targeted at increasing access to and awareness of the clinical benefits of the influenza vaccine.
在英国，目前建议年龄在 16-64 岁且处于临床高危人群的成年人接种年度流感疫苗。尽管有建议，但英国的疫苗接种率历来较低，未达到国家和国际目标。本研究旨在分析 2015-2016 年流感季节至今处于临床高危人群的成年人的疫苗接种率。
使用从公开来源提取的数据对英国的流感疫苗覆盖率进行了回顾性分析。本研究纳入了处于临床高危状态的个体（英格兰公共卫生部定义），包括孕妇，年龄在 16-64 岁。
过去 5 年，英国 16-64 岁处于临床高危状态的成年人的流感疫苗接种率一直较低，2018-2019 流感季节，英格兰、苏格兰、威尔士和北爱尔兰分别仅有 48.0%、42.4%、44.1%和 52.4%的符合条件的患者接种了年度流感疫苗。在 2018-2019 年，患有病态肥胖的患者的流感疫苗接种率最低，患有糖尿病的患者的接种率最高。在所有临床高危人群中，疫苗接种率均低于当前的国家目标（≥75%）。在这些临床高危人群中，2015 年至 2019 年期间流感疫苗接种率下降，且存在较大的区域差异。
处于临床高危状态的 16-64 岁成年人的流感疫苗接种率大大低于国家目标。因此，英国许多人仍面临发生严重流感或并发症的高风险。鉴于易感染 COVID-19 的人群也面临流感并发症风险增加，在 2020-2021 季节，英国各地的医疗保健专业人员更需要解决疫苗接种率不理想的问题，尤其是在高危患者中。医疗保健专业人员和政策制定者应考虑采取措施，增加对流感疫苗的临床益处的认识和获取。
