[Efficacy of vaccination against influenza among working people--results of epidemiological studies]

Influenza among working people is responsible for the enhanced sickness absenteeism, limited work capacity and efficiency, as well as for the increased health service demand. The efficacy of vaccination against influenza has been assessed most frequently on the basis of clinical symptoms without taking virological tests to confirm the presence of virus in the patients' serum. According to current epidemiological studies on the occurrence of the influenza-like symptoms, the efficacy of vaccination usually range between 18.3-23%. However, values reaching 54% or even 88% have also been noted. Only a few single studies did not show significant effects of vaccination against influenza. Savings due to vaccination have ranged from several to 20, and in one study even to 46 dollars per one vaccinated worker. These economic differences should be mainly attributed to the differences in the structure of direct and indirect costs taken into account. The direct costs depend, to a great extent, on whether savings due to the number of visits not attended by patients who had been vaccinated and thus, not suffered from flue, as well as the costs incurred in vaccination-promoting programmes and their implementation by nurses have been taken into account. In the structure of indirect costs, the largest difference was noted in regard to savings due to not wasted working time. These savings ranged from 9.9 dollars per one worker in Poland to 52.87 dollars in Canada. The range of savings obtained depends on the index of workers' participation in the vaccination programme, and this index is usually a derivative of the input of resources into the promotion of such kind of health conducive behaviour. It seems that in view of preliminary positive results of the economic assessment, the employers will encourage their workers to undergo preventive vaccination against influenza. It may be expected that appropriate promotion actions of much wider scope will be undertaken that will contribute to the increased number of vaccinated workers. However, the final decision in this respect will always depend on the worker's good will.