Analysis of influenza vaccination coverage among the elderly living in Rome, based on a deprivation index, 2009-2013

Elderly people are more likely to develop influenza-related complications. However, despite the recommendations, the optimal vaccination coverage is not reached. The use of deprivation indexes can help to identify subgroups with lower vaccination uptake. We analyzed vaccination coverage among elderly subjects living in the city of Rome on the basis of their socioeconomic characteristics by using a local deprivation index.

We focused on the population aged ≥ 65 years living in the city of Rome from 2009 to 2013. Information on vaccination coverage was collected from general practitioners. A combination of multivariate techniques, including multiple linear regression, factor and cluster analysis, was used to construct a composite area-based Index of Socio-Economic and Health Deprivation (SEHDI). The index was calculated for each census tract on the basis of data from the 2001 Italian census.

The majority of elderly subjects living in Rome belonged to the medium (40.4%) and medium-high (24%) deprivation groups; only 4.5% of the population was in the low-deprivation group. An inverse relationship was found between influenza vaccination coverage and the deprivation index: elderly subjects in the low-deprivation group displayed lower coverage (55.45%) than those in the high-deprivation group (57.59%). Specifically, vaccination coverage decreased with the increase of replacement index, employment rate and the percentage of: single and divorced individuals; university and high-school graduates; employees, entrepreneurs and freelancers, family assistants, students; foreigners and stateless persons residing in Italy; families consisting of one person.

Our results show an inverse relationship between deprivation and vaccination coverage and may help to identify subgroups that could benefit from targeted initiatives to increase vaccination coverage.