Baffour Awuah Gifty, Tanaka Luana Fiengo, Eberl Marian, Donnachie Ewan, Schauberger Gunther, Lehner Carolin Theresa, Himmler Sebastian, Sundmacher Leonie, Klug Stefanie J
Technical University of Munich, Germany; TUM School of Medicine and Health, Chair of Epidemiology, Georg-Brauchle-Ring 56, 80992 Munich, Germany.
Bavarian Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KVB), Elsenheimer Straße 39, 80687 Munich, Germany.
Vaccine. 2024 Dec 2;42(26):126354. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2024.126354. Epub 2024 Sep 12.
Vaccination is essential, especially in older adults whose immune system function declines with age. The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated lockdowns temporarily disrupted routine vaccination services. We aimed to assess vaccination coverage for Influenza, Pneumococcus, and Herpes zoster among older adults in Bavaria over time and investigate potential pandemic effects on these rates.
Based on health claims data from the Bavarian Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KVB), we estimated the percentage of adults aged 60 years and older vaccinated following the German Standing Committee on Vaccinations (STIKO) recommendation for Influenza (2012-2021), Pneumococcus (2017-2021) and Herpes zoster (2019-2021), stratified by sex and 10-year age groups. Using time series regression analysis, we estimated the effect of the pandemic period (2020-2021) on quarterly Influenza and Pneumococcal vaccination rates.
In the first year of the pandemic (2020), Influenza, Pneumococcus and Herpes zoster coverage in both sexes increased by 9.9, 8.7, and 2.5 percentage points (pp), respectively. In 2021, Influenza coverage decreased by 4.7 pp., while Pneumococcus and Herpes zoster coverage increased by 2.7 and 3.8 pp., respectively. Influenza and Pneumococcal vaccinations showed a seasonal pattern, with vaccinations occurring mainly in the fourth quarter; this pattern was distorted for Pneumococcus during the pandemic. Per the time series regression analysis, Influenza vaccination rates in the fourth quarters of 2020 and 2021 were 7.86 (95 %CI: 5.10-10.62) and 8.87 (95 %CI: 5.80-11.54) pp. higher for males and females, respectively, compared to that of the pre-pandemic period. During the pandemic, the quarterly Pneumococcal vaccination rates increased by 0.68 (95 %CI: 0.19-1.18) pp. in males and 0.80 (95 %CI: 0.30-1.30) pp. in females.
The heightened increase in vaccination rates observed in 2020 may have resulted from increased vaccination awareness during the pandemic. As the pandemic effect wanes, more efforts are needed to sustain and increase these vaccination rates.
疫苗接种至关重要，尤其是在免疫系统功能随年龄下降的老年人中。新冠疫情及其相关封锁措施暂时中断了常规疫苗接种服务。我们旨在评估巴伐利亚州老年人随时间推移的流感、肺炎球菌和带状疱疹疫苗接种覆盖率，并调查疫情对这些接种率的潜在影响。
基于巴伐利亚法定医疗保险医师协会（KVB）的健康理赔数据，我们按照德国疫苗接种常设委员会（STIKO）针对流感（2012 - 2021年）、肺炎球菌（2017 - 2021年）和带状疱疹（2019 - 2021年）的建议，估算60岁及以上成年人的接种百分比，按性别和10岁年龄组进行分层。使用时间序列回归分析，我们估算了疫情期间（2020 - 2021年）对季度流感和肺炎球菌疫苗接种率的影响。
在疫情的第一年（2020年），流感、肺炎球菌和带状疱疹疫苗在两性中的接种覆盖率分别提高了9.9、8.7和2.5个百分点（pp）。2021年，流感疫苗接种覆盖率下降了4.7个百分点，而肺炎球菌和带状疱疹疫苗接种覆盖率分别提高了2.7和3.8个百分点。流感和肺炎球菌疫苗接种呈现季节性模式，主要在第四季度进行接种；在疫情期间肺炎球菌疫苗的接种模式出现了扭曲。根据时间序列回归分析，与疫情前时期相比，2020年和2021年第四季度男性和女性的流感疫苗接种率分别高出7.86（95%置信区间：5.10 - 10.62）和8.87（95%置信区间：5.80 - 11.54）个百分点。在疫情期间，男性和女性的季度肺炎球菌疫苗接种率分别提高了0.68（95%置信区间：0.19 - 1.18）和0.80（95%置信区间：0.30 - 1.30）个百分点。
2020年观察到的疫苗接种率大幅提高可能是由于疫情期间疫苗接种意识增强所致。随着疫情影响减弱，需要做出更多努力来维持和提高这些疫苗接种率。
