Studies on Factors Influencing Influenza Vaccination Rates in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Background With low influenza vaccination rates among the chronically ill, approaches to increase these rates among risk patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are to be uncovered. Methods 120 COPD patients from Magdeburg filled out a questionnaire and were analyzed regarding the influenza vaccination status 2015/2016 or 2016/2017. Vaccinated and unvaccinated were compared in socio-epidemiological factors, the health belief model (HBM), self-efficacy (GESIS-ASKU), anxiety/depression (HADS-D) and disease processing (FKV-LIS). Results 62.5% (n=75) were vaccinated, 31.7% (n=38) unvaccinated, 5.8% (n=7) made no statement. In over or equal to 60-year-olds 76% were vaccinated, in under 60-year-olds 42% were vaccinated. 60% (n=72) knew to belong to a risk group.Unvaccinated indicated greater concern about side effects of the vaccination (p=.004) and drew a worse benefit-expense balance (p=.001). Unvaccinated were more often uncertain about the vaccination protection and the severity of influenza (p <=.001). Vaccinated were highly motivated to think about vaccination themselves and more often had a positive vaccination history (p=.001). COPD patients showed a lower self-efficacy than the reference group of the German general population (p=.000), vaccinated and unvaccinated did not differ (p=.418). No difference between vaccinated and unvaccinated was found in the processing of the disease and in depression and anxiety, but unvaccinated tended to give higher anxiety values. Conclusion Measures should particularly target COPD patients under 60 years of age with a negative vaccination history and sensitize them as risk patients. Widespread uncertainties about the severity of influenza and vaccination protection should be addressed. It should be communicated that influenza vaccination does not lead to exacerbation. The vaccination recommendation should increasingly be made by pulmonologists.