Comparing uptake of high-dose and standard-dose influenza vaccination at the practice and patient level in Germany

In 2021, German authorities introduced a preferential recommendation for inactivated quadrivalent high-dose (HD) influenza vaccines for adults aged 60 years and older. This recommendation was motivated by randomized and observational studies showing higher efficacy and effectiveness compared to standard-dose (SD) influenza vaccines in older adults. It is unknown to which extent this recommendation was followed.

This retrospective study uses IQVIA™ Vaccine Analyzer (VA) data from the 2021-2022 to 2023-2024 influenza seasons to examine vaccination coverage rates and proportions of HD among administered influenza vaccines in age group ≥60 years stratified by different individual-level and practice-level characteristics.

Influenza vaccination coverage rates in the older German population remain far below national targets. However, the proportion of HD vaccinations increased significantly up to 92.4 % in 2023-2024, implying that the preferential recommendation was increasingly followed. Overall, our results indicate high acceptance of HD vaccines among physicians and patients.