The Influence of Contact with Children, Contact with Healthcare Professionals, and Age on Influenza Vaccine Uptake

While the influenza vaccine is safe, efficacious, and recommended for everyone over the age of six months, rates of vaccination for seasonal influenza remain sub-optimal. During the 2011-2012 influenza season, only 39% of adults were vaccinated against influenza while the Healthy People 2020 goals aim to achieve vaccination rates of 80-90% (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2012; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 2012). This dissertation consists of three papers which assessed factors associated with influenza vaccination among several populations, including healthcare professionals, adults who have close contact with children, and young and middle-aged adults, using data from focus groups, and the 2009 and 2010 RAND Influenza Vaccine Tracking Surveys. The main findings from the papers are 1) Healthcare professionals with children in the household were more likely to be vaccinated for H1N1 influenza but were no more likely to be vaccinated for seasonal influenza than healthcare professionals without children in the household, 2) Healthcare provider-issued reminders and recommendations for influenza vaccination were positively associated with influenza vaccine uptake among all adults regardless of age, and 3) Childcare workers were concerned that influenza vaccination would make them sick and were distrustful of physicians' advice to be vaccinated for influenza.