Influenza vaccination in older people with diabetes and their household contacts.
BACKGROUND
People with diabetes are at a higher risk of influenza infections and severe complications. The vaccination of close contacts could offer indirect protection to people with diabetes; this is known as "herd immunity." The aim of this study is to investigate the vaccination rates of people with diabetes and their household contacts in Hong Kong.


RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
Face-to-face interviews with 158 patients diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and aged ⩾65years were conducted in clinics. Telephone interviews were then conducted with 281 adult household contacts.


RESULTS
Seasonal influenza vaccination rates were 54.5% and 27.4%, in people with diabetes and their contacts, respectively. The vaccination status of patients was not significantly associated with the vaccination of their household contacts (p=0.073). Among household contacts, children or the elderly, the partners or couples of patients, and those with more hours of daily contact, or with chronic conditions, were associated with higher vaccination rates. However, only age remained significant after adjusting for confounding factors in logistic regression models.


CONCLUSIONS
The low vaccination rates of people with diabetes and their close contacts highlight the need to promote vaccination in susceptible populations and to educate the public about herd immunity.
['Yang|Lin|L|', 'Nan|Hairong|H|', 'Liang|Jun|J|', 'Chan|Yin Hang|YH|', 'Chan|Laam|L|', 'Sum|Rita Wing Man|RW|', 'Kwan|Yee Mei|YM|', 'Zhou|Feifei|F|', 'Meng|Huaiqing|H|', 'Suen|Lorna Kwai Ping|LK|']
D000293:Adolescent D000328:Adult D000367:Age Factors D000368:Aged D002648:Child D002675:Child, Preschool D016358:Contact Tracing D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 D005191:Family Characteristics D005260:Female D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice D006723:Hong Kong D006801:Humans D032521:Immunity, Herd D007252:Influenza Vaccines D007251:Influenza, Human D016015:Logistic Models D008297:Male D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires D014611:Vaccination
Influenza Vaccine Diabetes Household Herd immunity