Flu Vaccine

A common challenge facing public health practitioners and social marketers is how best to frame and present benefit–risk information in campaigns that aim to change perceptions and increase acceptance of health recommendations, such as vaccinations. Given that public service advertisements and brand promises are often core components of social marketing and health communication efforts, this study examined whether, and how, framing and the use of text or image support to convey influenza vaccination brand promises affected college-attending young adults' beliefs and intentions regarding influenza vaccination. PSAs that varied with respect to gain or loss frame and type of support provided (i.e., image vs. text-supported) were used as the stimulus material. The findings indicated two pairings performed equally well with respect to the outcome measures used. A gain-framed image-supported PSA and a loss-framed text-supported PSA were both associated with the highest levels of positive affect toward the PSA, positive attitude toward flu vaccination, flu vaccination confidence, and flu vaccination intention. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of assessing both the framing used in social marketing or health communication materials and the approach used to support the framing. It is likely that the effectiveness of framing is affected by the visuals and text used to reinforce the brand promise conveyed by the framing, irrespective of whether it is positive or negative.

A B S T R A C T Political orientation (Republican/Democrat and conservative/liberal) and political environment (geo-spatial political party affiliated voting patterns) are both associated with various health outcomes, including mortality. Modern disease etiology in the U.S. suggests that many of our health outcomes derive from behaviors and lifestyle choices. Thus, we examine the associations of political orientation and political environment with health behaviors. We used the Annenberg National Health Communication Survey (ANHCS) data, which is a nationally representative U.S. survey fielded continuously from 2005 through 2012. The health behaviors studied include health information search, flu vaccination, excessive alcohol consumption, tobacco consumption, exercise, and dietary patterns. Democrats/liberals had higher odds of cigarette smoking and excessive drinking compared to Republicans/conservatives. Whereas, Republicans/conservatives ate fewer servings and fewer varieties of fruit and vegetables; ate more high fat and processed foods; and engaged in less in-depth health information searches compared to Democrats/liberals. Also, conservatives had lower odds of exercise participation than liberals; whereas Republicans had lower odds of flu vaccination. Greater Republican vote share in the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections at the state and/or county levels was associated with higher odds of flu vaccination and smoking cigarettes and lower odds of avoiding fat/calories, avoiding fast/processed food, eating a variety of fruits and vegetables, and eating more servings of fruit. We use the distinct cognitive-motivational styles attributed to political orientation in discussing the findings. Health communication strategies could leverage these relationships to produce tailored and targeted messages as well as to develop and advocate for policy.

Background: Flu vaccination significantly reduces the risk of serious complications like hospitalization and death among community-dwelling older people, therefore vaccination programmes targeting this population group represent a common policy in developed Countries. Among the determinants of vaccine uptake in older age, a growing literature suggests that social relations can play a major role. Methods: Drawing on the socio-behavioral model of Andersen-Newman-which distinguishes predictors of health care use in predisposing characteristics, enabling resources and need factors-we analyzed through multilevel regressions the determinants of influenza immunization in a sample of 25,183 elderly reached by a nationally representative Italian survey. Results: Being over 85-year old (OR = 1.99; 95% CI 1.77-2.21) and suffering from a severe chronic disease (OR = 2.06; 95% CI 1.90-2.24) are the strongest determinants of vaccine uptake. Being unmarried (OR = 0.81; 95% CI 0.74-0.87) and living in larger households (OR = 0.83; 95% CI 0.74-0.87) are risk factors for lower immunization rates. Conversely, relying on neighbors' support (OR = 1.09; 95% CI 1.02-1.16) or on privately paid home help (OR = 1.19; 95% CI 1.08-1.30) is associated with a higher likelihood of vaccine uptake. Conclusions: Even after adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics and need factors, social support, measured as the availability of assistance from partners, neighbors and home helpers, significantly increases the odds of influenza vaccine use among older Italians.

A common challenge facing public health practitioners and social marketers is how best to frame and present benefit–risk information in campaigns that aim to change perceptions and increase acceptance of health recommendations, such as vaccinations. Given that public service advertisements and brand promises are often core components of social marketing and health communication efforts, this study examined whether, and how, framing and the use of text or image support to convey influenza vaccination brand promises affected college-attending young adults’ beliefs and intentions regarding influenza vaccination. PSAs that varied with respect to gain or loss frame and type of support provided (i.e., image vs. text-supported) were used as the stimulus material. The findings indicated two pairings performed equally well with respect to the outcome measures used. A gain-framed image-supported PSA and a loss-framed text-supported PSA were both associated with the highest levels of positive ...

Despite controversies, flu vaccine programmes targeted to the older people are highly recommended and represent a common public health policy in industrialized Countries. Although demographic ageing will increase the share of population at higher risk of influenza, today economic recession is putting public budgets under pressure. Underfunding of prevention is becoming more in the next future, as prevention expenditure generally appears easier to be cut compared to other front-line services like hospital bed-places. In this commentary, after revising existing evidence and current economic scenario, we identify examples of promising topics for future research in the area of flu vaccination, with regard inter alia to: a) the re-design of national vaccination programmes (possible to be achieved also by using a comparative approach); b) up to date economic evaluations of different national delivery systems; c) the development of innovative interventions aimed at improving vaccine covera...

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the leading causes of
death globally. In addition to the mortality associated with it, people with COPD
experience signifi cant morbidity, making this set of conditions a major public health
concern. Infections caused by infl uenza virus are a preventable cause of morbidity
and vaccination has been shown to be effective. The evidence of their benefi t in
persons with COPD mainly comes from high-income countries where infl uenza
vaccination is used in routine practice, but little is known about the effectiveness,
cost-effectiveness, and scalability of vaccination in low- and middle-income
countries. We therefore systematically reviewed and present evidence related to
vaccination against infl uenza in persons with COPD with a special focus on studies
from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Available data from 19 studies
suggest that the use of infl uenza vaccine in persons with COPD is benefi cial,
cost-effective, and may be relevant for low- and middle-income countries. Wider
implementation of this intervention needs to take into account the health care
delivery systems of LMICs and use of prevalent viral strains in vaccines to be most
cost effective.

First generation Latinos often have better health behaviors and outcomes than second and third generation Latinos. This study examined the correlates of seasonal influenza vaccinations among Mexican-identified (Mexican) adults, who make up the largest Latino subgroup in California. A sample of Mexican adults (N = 7493) from the 2011-12 California Interview Health Survey was used to compare the odds of first, second, and third generation Mexicans receiving influenza vaccinations in the past year. We performed a logistic regression taking into account socio-demographic characteristics, health status, and access to care. We repeated the analysis after stratifying for nativity, and then age. Being a second (odds ratio (OR) = 0.74, confidence interval (CI): 0.59, 0.92) and third generation or higher (OR = 0.66, CI: 0.51, 0.86) Mexican was associated with lower odds of getting an influenza vaccination compared to first generation Mexicans. Having a chronic disease, and access to care was associated with higher odds of vaccination, while lower age was associated with lower odds of vaccination among both US-, and foreign-born Mexicans. Given that the majority of Mexicans in California are US-born, the fact that being second-and third-generation Mexicans was associated with lower influenza vaccination rates is of significant concern.

The public interest should be the center of policy analytical frameworks. This study applies a public values framework to the 2004-2005 influenza vaccine shortage. It illustrates the potential for infusing public values in analysis of policy controversies, something that has been marginalized in recent years. The public values approach leads to a quite different, and preferable, focus on policy analysis and forecasting compared to predominant economic thinking, especially market failure criteria. The vaccine shortage case is especially apt inasmuch as relatively few of the determinants pertained to economic forces or market factors. Public health is a classic instance of public goods, perhaps even more so than defense and national security because the level of threat to one is in large measure a function of the threat to others.

Seasonal influenza represents a major threat to public health but vaccination campaigns are strongly recommended to reduce the risks of serious complications and mortality among community-dwelling elderly persons. We investigated on potential social predictors of influenza vaccination among older adults in Italy.Data analysis was based on the national survey “Health and use of health care,” which was carried out in 2004/2005 and reached a sample of 25,183 elderly persons. After initial univariate and bivariate statistics, we used multivariate logistic regression to evaluate potential independent predictors of influenza immunization.62.6% of the recruited subjects declared to be vaccinated against influenza. At bivariate analysis, significative differences in immunization rates arose by each socioeconomic variable investigated. Logistic regressions confirmed that individuals in lower social classes have higher chances of being vaccinated. Moreover, older age and chronic disease were associated with higher likelihood of immunization. Conversely, reporting good health predicted a lower uptake.In our analysis we found several independent predictors of influenza vaccination. Surprisingly, individuals belonging to lower social classes have higher chances of being vaccinated. These results suggest that vaccination policies have a positive effect in preventing socioeconomic inequalities in access to this service in Italy.

Background: Flu vaccination significantly reduces the risk of serious complications like hospitalization and death among community-dwelling older people, therefore vaccination programmes targeting this population group represent a common policy in developed Countries. Among the determinants of vaccine uptake in older age, a growing literature suggests that social relations can play a major role. Methods: Drawing on the socio-behavioral model of Andersen-Newman -which distinguishes predictors of health care use in predisposing characteristics, enabling resources and need factors -we analyzed through multilevel regressions the determinants of influenza immunization in a sample of 25,183 elderly reached by a nationally representative Italian survey. Results: Being over 85-year old (OR = 1.99; 95% CI 1.77 -2.21) and suffering from a severe chronic disease (OR = 2.06; 95% CI 1.90 -2.24) are the strongest determinants of vaccine uptake. Being unmarried (OR = 0.81; 95% CI 0.74 -0.87) and living in larger households (OR = 0.83; 95% CI 0.74 -0.87) are risk factors for lower immunization rates. Conversely, relying on neighbors' support (OR = 1.09; 95% CI 1.02 -1.16) or on privately paid home help (OR = 1.19; 95% CI 1.08 -1.30) is associated with a higher likelihood of vaccine uptake. Conclusions: Even after adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics and need factors, social support, measured as the availability of assistance from partners, neighbors and home helpers, significantly increases the odds of influenza vaccine use among older Italians.

Switzerland has lagged behind other industrialized countries in increasing vaccination coverage against flu in the elderly population. The information campaign "United against Flu", started in Geneva in 1993, gradually extended to other French and Italian speaking cantons in Switzerland and indirectly affected German-speaking cantons. Activities developed include the production of TV spots, press conferences, information forwarded to health professionals, an Internet site and information material such as leaflets and posters to risk groups. The campaign is evaluated by repeated surveys that measure vaccination coverage as well as network of informants, knowledge and perceptions in the geriatric population. Vaccination coverage of the geriatric population in Geneva canton has increased from 29% in 1991 to 59% in the year 2000.