Comorbid risk, respondent characteristics and likelihood of pneumococcal vaccination versus no vaccination among older adults in Brazil.

This study investigated predictors of pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV) use among older adults in Brazil. Respondents aged ≥50 from 2011 National Health and Wellness Survey in Brazil who had ever (vs never) received PPV were compared on comorbid risk, sociodemographics and vaccination behaviors. Logistic regression and decision tree analyses predicted PPV receipt as a function of the measures. Among 3195 respondents, 8.7% reported ever receiving PPV (10.4% among those at risk). Adjusting for covariates, adults classified as high or moderate risk had significantly greater odds of pneumococcal vaccination (odds ratios [ORs]: 2.42 or 1.36, respectively), as were those who received flu vaccinations (OR: 2.21) or were parents/guardians of a vaccinated child (OR: 6.48). In Brazil, child vaccination appears to be the dominant predictor of adult PPV uptake, followed by influenza vaccination. Higher disease risk was a significant predictor, but most older at-risk adults (89.6%) did not receive PPV.