Interventions to increase influenza vaccination rates of those 60 years and older in the community.
BACKGROUND
Although the evidence to support influenza vaccination is poor, it is promoted by many health authorities. There is uncertainty about the effectiveness of interventions to increase influenza vaccination rates in those 60 years or older.


OBJECTIVE
To assess effects of interventions to increase influenza vaccination rates in those 60 or older.


METHODS
We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library, 2010, issue 3), containing the Cochrane Acute Respiratory Infections Group's Specialized Register, MEDLINE (January 1950 to July 2010), PubMed (January 1950 to July 2010), EMBASE (1980 to 2010 Week 28), AgeLine (1978 to July 2010), ERIC (1965 to July 2010) and CINAHL (1982 to July 2010).


METHODS
Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to increase influenza vaccination rates in those aged 60 years and older, recording influenza vaccination status either through clinic records, billing data or local/national vaccination registers.


METHODS
Two review authors independently assessed study quality and extracted data.


RESULTS
Forty-four RCTs were included. All included RCTs studied seniors in the community and in high-income countries. No RCTs of society-level interventions were included. Heterogeneity was marked and meta-analysis was limited. Only five RCTs were graded at low and six at moderate risk of bias. They included three of 13 personalized postcard interventions (all three with the 95% confidence interval (CI) above unity), two of the four home visit interventions (both with 95% CI above unity, but one a small study), three of the four reminder to physicians interventions (none with 95% CI above unity) and three of the four facilitator interventions (one with 95% CI above unity, and one P < 0.01). The other 33 RCTs were at high risk of bias and no recommendations for practice can be drawn.


CONCLUSIONS
Personalized postcards or phone calls are effective, and home visits, and facilitators, may be effective. Reminders to physicians are not. There is insufficient good evidence for other interventions.
Thomas
Roger E
RE
Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, UCMC, #1707-1632 14th Avenue, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2M 1N7.
Russell
Margaret
M
Lorenzetti
Diane
D
D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003256:Community Participation; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs / Q000379:methods*; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D017010:Reminder Systems; D014611:Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
D007252:Influenza Vaccines