Characteristics of Repeated Influenza Vaccination Among Older U.S. Adults

Annual influenza vaccination is associated with reduced mortality among older adults and lower overall public health burden of influenza. This study seeks to identify the characteristics associated with repeat influenza vaccination and determine whether age-group (51-59, 60-69, ≥70 years) differences exist.

Using the nationally representative, longitudinal Health and Retirement Study waves 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016, adults aged >50 years were followed from 2004 to 2016. In 2020, age-stratified, multinomial regression models were estimated to identify the factors associated with respondents receiving the vaccine repeatedly (every time point), occasionally (some years), or never, with censoring for death.

The overall proportion of adults repeatedly receiving influenza vaccine monotonically increased across age groups from 25.9% among adults aged 51-59 years to 62.4% among those aged ≥70 years. Black, non-Hispanics and smokers were less likely to repeatedly receive an influenza vaccine than white, non-Hispanics and nonsmokers (RR=0.40-0.61 and RR=0.60-0.75, respectively, p<0.05 for all). Those who had 1‒4 medical doctor visits in the past 2 years (RR=1.60-2.99) or cholesterol screening (RR=2.67-3.48) in the past 2 years were significantly more likely to repeatedly receive influenza vaccine than those who had none.

Although adults aged 60-69 years and ≥70 years are more likely to receive influenza vaccine repeatedly than adults aged 51-59 years, age-specific interventions for repeat influenza vaccination may not be as effective as interventions targeted to certain subgroups among adults aged ≥51 years.