Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 19, 2026
A Luciferase-fluorescent Reporter Influenza Virus for Live Imaging and Quantification of Viral Infection
Published on: August 14, 2019
[Influenza vaccination in patients admitted to a tertiary hospital. Factors associated with coverage]
A Sánchez Callejas1, M Campins Martí, X Martínez Gómez
1Servicio de Medicina Preventiva y Epidemiología. Hospital Universitario Vall d'Hebron. Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona. Barcelona. España.
Insights
Influenza vaccine coverage in high-risk children is low at 23.5%. Health professionals must increase awareness and recommendations for annual influenza immunization to improve vaccination rates in vulnerable pediatric populations.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Immunology
- Public Health
Background:
- Children under 2 and those with chronic diseases face high risks from influenza, including complications and hospitalization.
- Despite recommendations, annual influenza immunization rates in high-risk children remain below 30%.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine influenza vaccine coverage in hospitalized children with high-risk underlying conditions.
- To analyze factors associated with immunization and reasons for nonvaccination.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of hospitalized patients aged 6 months to 18 years with high-risk conditions.
- Data collected between January and May 2005 at Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona.
Main Results:
- Overall influenza vaccine coverage was 23.5%.
- Highest coverage observed in patients with congenital heart disease (43.2%), chronic respiratory disease (42.9%), and asthma (28.6%).
- Factors associated with vaccination included disease type, prior immunization, pneumococcal vaccination, and younger age (<5 years).
Conclusions:
- Influenza vaccine coverage in high-risk children is significantly low.
- There is a critical need for strategies to enhance health professional awareness and recommendations for influenza immunization.
Introduction:
Children aged less than 2 years old and those with chronic diseases have a high risk of complications and hospitalization due to influenza. Despite the broad consensus in the literature on the indication for annual immunization of these patients, less than 30 % of the children with high-risk underlying conditions are immunized each year. The aim of this study is to determine the influenza vaccine coverage in children with high-risk underlying conditions admitted to a university hospital.
Patients And Methods:
We performed a cross-sectional study of patients aged from 6 months to 18 years old with high-risk medical conditions and who had been hospitalized between January and May, 2005 in the Vall d'Hebron University Hospital (Barcelona). Influenza vaccine coverage, factors associated with immunization, and the reasons for nonvaccination were analyzed.
Results:
Overall vaccine coverage was 23.5 %. The highest vaccination coverage was found in patients with congenital heart disease, chronic respiratory disease, and asthma (43.2 %, 42.9 % and 28.6 %, respectively). The factors most frequently associated with influenza vaccination were the type of underlying disease, having been immunized against influenza in the previous season, having received the pneumococcal vaccine, and age younger than 5 years. The main reason for nonvaccination was the lack of influenza vaccine recommendation by health professionals (95.3 %).
Conclusions:
Influenza vaccine coverage in children with high-risk conditions is low. Strategies to increase awareness among health professionals on the importance of recommending influenza immunization are required.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Influenza
01:51Vaccinations
01:30Pneumonia V: Nursing management and Prevention
The nurse must practice strict medical asepsis and adhere to infection control guidelines to minimize healthcare-associated infections.
Enhance airway patency
Position the patient correctly to facilitate drainage of the affected lung segments. Manual or mechanical percussion and vibration can also be employed.
01:26Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection
The integrity and count of the white blood cells help the body resist pathogens and fight infection. When impaired, it reduces the body's resistance to pathogens. The acidic pH levels of the gastrointestinal, genitourinary tracts, and skin create...
01:22Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures
The best practices for preventing healthcare-associated infections include hand hygiene, patient risk...
01:28Pneumonia IV: Management
Bacterial Pneumonia Treatment
For bacterial pneumonia, antibiotics serve as the cornerstone of therapy. Initial treatment often begins with empirical antibiotics, tailored to the anticipated causative organism and adjusted based on culture results. Key antibiotic choices include: