Determinants of H1N1 vaccination uptake in England.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate which individual characteristics influenced the uptake of the 2009 H1N1 vaccination in England. The vaccination was provided for free to a specified target group who also received invitation letters, but the coverage rate was still far from universal among them. METHODS: Data from the 2010 edition of the Health Survey for England are used (size of the estimation sample: 7211). In order to partial out the effect of unobservable time costs, attitudes or access to vaccinations, immunisations against the seasonal and pandemic influenza are jointly estimated. RESULTS: Health risks, health behaviours and preferences, and exposure to various information help explain the immunisation decision. Receiving the seasonal flu vaccine increases the probability of H1N1 vaccination uptake by 20 percentage points. CONCLUSIONS: The widespread refusal of the vaccination can be worrying for the control of potential future pandemics. Providing clear, well targeted information, ensuring that high risk groups are contacted, and raising the level of health consciousness can increase the coverage rate with vaccinations.