Effectiveness of influenza vaccines in elderly in the Ñuble region, years 2015, 2017 and 2019

Abstract

Introduction: Vaccines are highly effective in reducing the morbidity and mortality caused by infectious diseases, especially in the general population and higher risk groups. This study aims to evaluate the coverage of influenza vaccination in people aged 65 years and older in the Ñuble Region during the years 2015, 2017, and 2019, in relation to mortality caused by respiratory failure and pneumonia.

Materials and methods: Ecological design. This study included people aged 65 years and over who received flu vaccination between March and August in the years 2015, 2017, and 2019, as well as people in the same age group who died due to respiratory failure and pneumonia during the same period. The researchers used databases from the National Immunization Registry and mortality records from the Civil Registry Service for the study. Descriptive analyzes and linear regression models were performed with the statistical program SPSS v. 23.

Results: 125,056 people were included. The mean age was 74.8±7.26, the age group with the highest percentage of vaccination was 65 to 69 years, and vaccination coverage was 61.87, 62.55, and 72.97 for 2015, 2017, and 2019, respectively. Discussion: As influenza vaccination coverage increases, respiratory failure and pneumonia mortality decreases in people aged 65 and over. Evaluating vaccination coverage is critical to implementing interventions that allow increasing coverage percentages.