Changing attitudes toward influenza vaccination in U.S. Kidney transplant programs over the past decade.
OBJECTIVE
Influenza infection in transplant recipients is often associated with significant morbidity. Surveys were conducted in 1999 and 2009 to find out if the influenza vaccination practices in the U.S. transplant programs had changed over the past 10 years.


METHODS
In 1999, a survey of the 217 United Network for Organ Sharing-certified kidney and kidney-pancreas transplant centers in the U.S. was conducted regarding their influenza vaccination practice patterns. A decade later, a second similar survey of 239 transplant programs was carried out.


RESULTS
The 2009 respondents, compared with 1999, were more likely to recommend vaccination for kidney (94.5% versus 84.4%, P = 0.02) and kidney-pancreas recipients (76.8% versus 48.5%, P < 0.001), family members of transplant recipients (52.5% versus 21.0%, P < 0.001), and medical staff caring for transplant patients (79.6% versus 40.7%, P < 0.001). Physicians and other members of the transplant team were more likely to have been vaccinated in 2009 compared with 1999 (84.2% versus 62.3% of physicians, P < 0.001 and 91.2% versus 50.3% of nonphysicians, P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Our study suggests a greater adoption of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention influenza vaccination guidelines by U.S. transplant programs in vaccinating solid-organ transplant recipients, close family contacts, and healthcare workers.
Chon
W James
WJ
Section of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA. wjchon@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu
Kadambi
Pradeep V
PV
Harland
Robert C
RC
Thistlethwaite
J Richard
JR
West
Bradford L
BL
Udani
Suneel
S
Poduval
Rajiv
R
Josephson
Michelle A
MA
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007115:Immunization Schedule; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States
D007252:Influenza Vaccines