Influence of cantonal health policy frameworks & activities on the influenza vaccination rate in patients with non-communicable diseases in Switzerland

Abstract

Background and objective: Seasonal influenza may cause serious illness, especially in high-risk populations such as older adults and individuals suffering from non-communicable diseases (NCD) and may be prevented by a vaccination. However, an assessment of the impact of the Swiss legal frameworks and number of health activities on influenza vaccination coverage of the population at the cantonal level is lacking.

Methods: Two participating healthcare insurers sent out 25,000 semi-structured questionnaires to their subscribers aged 60-85 in five Swiss cantons selected according to the number of health activities and legal framework regarding influenza vaccination and linguistic region. Influenza vaccination coverage of the participants was evaluated and stratified by disease status, age, canton, and linguistic region. Results were compared by cantonal activities, legal framework, and linguistic region.

Results: 7,617 valid questionnaires were evaluated from the cantons Aargau, Jura, St. Gallen, Schwyz, and Vaud. 47.9 % stated to have an NCD, with the most frequent being muscle/ skeletal disease (36.7%). Before 2018, 48.6% were vaccinated against influenza, and 35.9% in 2019, with the highest in canton Vaud. In all cantons and in both survey periods, NCD patients and those aged 73-85 had a higher vaccination coverage than participants without NCD, and aged 60-72. There was no difference in the odds of getting an influenza shot based on legal framework. Although a comparison of the number of activities between the German-speaking cantons did not reveal any significant differences, the odds of the participants living in a French-speaking canton getting an influenza vaccination was more likely than those living in a German-speaking canton.

Conclusion: There was no association between the investigated cantonal frameworks and number of health activities and influenza vaccination coverage in NCD patients in the selected cantons. However, age, disease status and linguistic region appear to have an influence on vaccination uptake.

Keywords: Chronic disease; Influenza; NCD; Non-communicable disease; Switzerland; Vaccination.