Pneumococcal vaccination--current situation and perspectives.
The authors carried out a survey in outpatient and hospitalised patients with risk factors for invasive pneumococcal disease in a tertiary-care medical faculty affiliated hospital. Data were collected by individual interviews and verified against the medical records of all addressed patients. The authors also attempted to discover the attitude of general practitioners (GPs) from 2 Slovak districts towards the pneumococcal vaccine by means of an anonymous questionnaire. Out of the total of 154 addressed patients, 128 (83.1%) had at least one risk factor for acquiring invasive pneumococcal disease. However, only 8 (6.3%) of them had ever been administered pneumococcal vaccine. Out of 34 hospitalised patients with at least one risk factor 82.4 % had not received any pneumococcal vaccination in the past. When subdivided according to age and risk factors (chronic respiratory, cardiovascular, uropoetic, metabolic, immunne system disorders, asplenia), vaccination coverage in all groups was very low, ranging between --9.3%. In an anonymous questionnaire 74 (94.9%) out of 77 surveyed GPs referred to a lack of information on the polysaccharide pneumococcal vaccine and 22 (28.2%) expressed their general distrust towards vaccination of any kind. The main role in increasing the disturbingly low pneumococcal vaccination coverage lies in the hands of medical professionals, especially GPs who should inform their patients about the possibility of a free vaccine and who should make an effort to explain to their patients the benefit of pneumococcal vaccination. (Tab. 4, Reft 9.)
Madar
R
R
Institute of Epidemiology, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Martin, Slovakia. madar@jfmed.uniba.sk
Strakova
J
J
Baska
T
T
Kavcova
E
E
Straka
S
S
D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005194:Family Practice; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines; D012307:Risk Factors; D018154:Slovakia; D014611:Vaccination
D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines