European ADULT IMMUNISATION HUB

Research published in the BMJ in 2015 highlight the challenges associated with vaccinating adults.

“The challenge of vaccinating adults: attitudes and beliefs of the Canadian public and healthcare providers” finds:

• 3% of adults thought they were up-to-date on their vaccines; 30% did not know.
• Only 57.5% of adults thought it was important to receive all recommended vaccines
• Between 55.0% and 59.7% of adults reported willingness to be vaccinated if recommended by their healthcare provider.

The authors argue

“Despite guidelines for adult vaccination, there are substantial gaps in knowledge and attitudes and beliefs among both the public and healthcare providers that lead to low vaccine coverage. A systematic approach that involves education, elimination of barriers and establishing and improving infrastructure for adult immunisation is required.”