BACKGROUND: The elderly residents of nursing and old people's homes are at substantially increased risk from influenza and its complications. Annual vaccination is therefore strongly recommended by the UK Departments of Health. However, few data exist on the uptake of influenza vaccine in this setting; this was last estimated to be 45 percent in 1988-1989. A major epidemic of influenza A occurred in 1989-1990 which may have changed vaccination behaviours. METHODS: A structured interview survey was conducted in 49 old people's homes in Nottingham to determine practices and policies for influenza vaccine. The medical records of 151 randomly selected elderly residents were examined to determine vaccine uptake in the 1992-1993 season. RESULTS: Twenty-five homes (52.1 percent) claimed to operate a policy for influenza immunization but only 3 (12.0 percent) were written down and none set targets. Methods of vaccine promotion were generally weak. Accordingly, vaccine uptake was only 39.6% percent (95 percent confidence interval 33.2-46.0). CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to other high-risk groups living in the open community, no improvement in influenza vaccine uptake has occurred in nursing and old people's homes since the late 1980s. Future attempts to increase vaccine uptake in this setting should focus on developing joint policies between general practitioners and home staff to facilitate better co-ordinated programmes of vaccine promotion and administration.
BACKGROUND: The elderly residents of nursing and old people's homes are at substantially increased risk from influenza and its complications. Annual vaccination is therefore strongly recommended by the UK Departments of Health. However, few data exist on the uptake of influenza vaccine in this setting; this was last estimated to be 45 percent in 1988-1989. A major epidemic of influenza A occurred in 1989-1990 which may have changed vaccination behaviours. METHODS: A structured interview survey was conducted in 49 old people's homes in Nottingham to determine practices and policies for influenza vaccine. The medical records of 151 randomly selected elderly residents were examined to determine vaccine uptake in the 1992-1993 season. RESULTS: Twenty-five homes (52.1 percent) claimed to operate a policy for influenza immunization but only 3 (12.0 percent) were written down and none set targets. Methods of vaccine promotion were generally weak. Accordingly, vaccine uptake was only 39.6% percent (95 percent confidence interval 33.2-46.0). CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to other high-risk groups living in the open community, no improvement in influenza vaccine uptake has occurred in nursing and old people's homes since the late 1980s. Future attempts to increase vaccine uptake in this setting should focus on developing joint policies between general practitioners and home staff to facilitate better co-ordinated programmes of vaccine promotion and administration.