Association between asthma and influenza vaccine uptake among US adolescents: a retrospective survey study

Despite longstanding recommendations for children with asthma to receive the influenza vaccine, vaccine uptake in this population remains low. We used the nationally representative National Immunization Survey-Teen to analyze the impact of asthma on adolescent influenza vaccination rates.

Adolescents ages 13-17 years with provider-reported data on vaccine coverage were included in the analysis. The primary outcome was being up-to-date on influenza vaccination, defined as receiving the seasonal influenza vaccine in at least one of the past 3 years, and was analyzed using logistic regression. Asthma was defined by parent report of whether the adolescent has ever been told by a health professional that he or she has asthma. Data were collected in 2016-2017 and analyzed in 2020.

Of 36,655 adolescents in the analytic sample (mean age 15 years, 49% female), 55% were up-to-date on influenza vaccination, and 21% had been diagnosed with asthma. On bivariate analysis, vaccination was more common among adolescents who had been diagnosed with asthma compared to those who were not (60% vs. 53%, P < 0.001). On multivariable analysis, asthma diagnosis was associated with greater likelihood of being up-to-date on seasonal influenza vaccination (adjusted odds ratio: 1.29; 95% confidence interval: 1.22, 1.36; P < 0.001).

Seasonal influenza vaccination rates remain low among adolescents. Despite concerns about vaccine effectiveness in children with asthma, this diagnosis was associated with increased likelihood of influenza vaccination, possibly in relation to increased health care use (and exposure to vaccine encouragement) among adolescents with asthma.