Trends in influenza vaccination uptake in Switzerland: Swiss Health Survey 2007 and 2012

We studied time trends in seasonal influenza vaccination and assessed associations with socioeconomic and health-related determinants in Switzerland (overall and people aged ≥65 years).

We used data from the Swiss Health Surveys of 2007 and 2012. We calculated the proportion of the population (overall and those ≥65 years old) reporting influenza vaccination in the last 12 months, and performed multivariate logistic regression analyses, presented as adjusted odds ratios (aORs).

The average overall frequency of people reporting having been vaccinated for influenza in the previous 12 months was 15.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] 14.7–15.7); frequency decreased from 16.4% in 2007 to 14.1% in 2012 (p <0.001). In elderly people (≥65 years) the frequency declined from 47.8 to 38.5% (p <0.001). The decline was more pronounced in both the 15 to 19 age group (aOR 0.5, 95% CI 0.3–1.0) and those 65 to 75 years old (aOR 0.6, 95% CI 0.5–0.7), and in those with less education (aOR 0.6, 95% CI 0.4–0.7). Pregnant women had the lowest frequency for influenza vaccination (2.3%, 95% CI 0.6–7.9), but the frequency increased between 2007 and 2012 (aOR 4.5, 95% CI 1.0–20.5). Influenza vaccination in the last 12 months was positively associated with the ≥65 age group, living in French-speaking and urban areas, history of smoking, bad self-reported health status, health insurance for private/semiprivate hospital stays and working in healthcare professions.

Influenza vaccination coverage was low overall and declined over time. To increase influenza vaccine uptake and reach the European target of 75% in people aged ≥65 years, more efforts should be put into novel intervention approaches.