Background: This article describes the findings of a survey of nursing-home managers in the Sefton area of Merseyside about flu vaccination in their nursing homes during the 2002/2003 flu vaccination campaign. This followed concerns expressed that significant numbers of nursing-home residents may not have been offered the vaccine during the annual campaign.
Methods: A survey of all nursing homes in Sefton carried out in April 2003.
Results: Forty-three nursing homes participated in the study. Survey results showed considerable variation in practice with regard to the organization of flu vaccination and consequently considerable variation in the outcomes achieved with regard to the number of residents vaccinated. Residents are more likely to be offered vaccination in some homes than others. The size of the home and the number of qualified staff may be influential. Some homes report uncertainty related to the issues of consent and anaphylaxis and problems obtaining vaccine prescriptions. However, attitudes of nursing-home managers may also be important.