Influenza is among infections that can be prevented through vaccination. Throughout the world, the influenza virus is linked to serious negative occurrences that cause hospitalization, serious complications, and death in elderly people. Influenza is prevalent and is linked to serious complications that cause high morbidity and mortality rates especially among the elderly and those with compromised immune systems ( Smetana et al., 2017 ). Foremost amongst the diseases preventable by vaccination is influenza. When seasonal outbreaks occur, many influenza infections happen across age groups. The disease is, in most cases, self-limiting in many people. Worldwide, influenza virus infection is associated with serious adverse events leading to hospitalization, debilitating complications, and death in elderly individuals.
Immunization is considered to be the cornerstone for preventing these adverse health outcomes, and vaccination programs are timed to optimize protection during the annual influenza season. In the elderly population, influenza leads to complications in other existing illnesses. An increase in the number of deaths attributed to influenza is linked to a disproportionate increase in the number of people who are 65 years and above who contribute to 90 percent of all the deaths resulting from influenza (Dominguez et al., 2016). Therefore, the flu vaccine is especially essential for individuals aged 65 years and above because of their increased risk of having serious complications caused by flu.
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The topic of flu vaccination in elderly people is of significance in nursing practice because influenza complications are the main cause of preventable deaths in elderly people. Even though there exists adequate evidence to prove that flu vaccine can reduce influenza linked mortality in the elderly population, the rates of immunization in this population is poor. Approximately 65 percent of the total older population is immunized every year. The remaining 35 percent is not vaccinated hence at an increased risk of developing flu. Although the effectiveness of the vaccine in older adults is decreased because of reduced seroconversion levels arising from poor immune response to the vaccine, there are new vaccines such as the high dose ones to ensure effectiveness in the elderly population (Flu Vaccine with Adjuvant, 2019). Older adults carry the greatest burden of disease incidence and deaths than any other group with rates of hospitalization as a result of influenza ranging between 54 percent and 70 percent (Gazibara et al., 2019).
The rates for influenza linked deaths range between 71 to 85 percent in older people aged 65 years and above. To ensure that flu vaccination is ensured among the elderly, nurses have a major role to play in the promotion. The role of healthcare professionals in vaccination promotion in elderly people is widely acknowledged. Vaccination against influenza among older people who are 65 years and above old is related to their health care providers presenting favorable perspectives about influenza vaccination (Dominguez, 2016). The topic is, therefore, of significance in nursing practice because, just like in other primary care providers, promoting vaccination by enhancing their views and attitudes on vaccinating the elderly against influenza using evidence-based practice may benefit the older people. The three developed PICOT questions related to the topic are:
PICOT Question 1 : Do hospitalized patients aged 65 years and above (P) who receive flu vaccine (I) have a reduced risk of influenza (O) compared to their counterparts who are not vaccinated (C).
PICOT Question 2 : In healthy elderly people aged 65 years and above (P), how does receiving influenza vaccine (I) compared to not being vaccinated (C) affect the risk of influenza infection (O) during flue period (T)?
PICOT Question 3 : Do elderly patients (P) who receive high dose of flu vaccine (I) have a more reduced risk of influenza infection (O) during seasonal outbreaks (T) compared to elderly patients who receive the standard vaccine dose (C).
References
Domínguez, À., Soldevila, N., Toledo, D., Godoy, P., Castilla, J., Force, L., … Astray, J. (2016). Factors Associated with Influenza Vaccination of Hospitalized Elderly Patients in Spain. Plos One , 11 (1). doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0147931
CDC. (2019). Flu Vaccine with Adjuvant. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/adjuvant.htm
Gazibara, T., Kovacevic, N., Kisic-Tepavcevic, D., Nurkovic, S., Kurtagic, I., Gazibara, T., & Pekmezovic, T. (2019). Flu vaccination among older persons: study of knowledge and practices. Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition , 38 (1). doi: 10.1186/s41043-018-0159-8
Smetana, J., Chlibek, R., Shaw, J., Splino, M., & Prymula, R. (2017). Influenza vaccination in the elderly. Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutic , 14 (3), 540–549. doi: 10.1080/21645515.2017.1343226
