PLoS ONE (Jan 2022)

Pneumococcal vaccination uptake and missed opportunities for vaccination among Canadian adults: A cross-sectional analysis of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA)

  • Giorgia Sulis,
  • Valérie Rodrigue,
  • Christina Wolfson,
  • Jacqueline M. McMillan,
  • Susan A. Kirkland,
  • Melissa K. Andrew,
  • Nicole E. Basta

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 17, no. 10

Abstract

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Introduction In Canada, pneumococcal vaccination is recommended to all adults aged ≥65 and those Methods Using data from a large national cohort of Canadian residents aged ≥47 years between 2015–2018, we calculated self-reported pneumococcal vaccine uptake among eligible groups, estimated associations between key factors and non-vaccination, assessed missed opportunities for vaccination (MOV) and examined risk factors for MOV. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for relevant associations were estimated through logistic regression. Results 45.8% (95% CI: 45.2–46.5) of 22,246 participants aged ≥65 and 81.3% (95% CI: 80.5–82.0) of 10,815 individuals aged 47–64 with ≥1 CMC reported never having received a pneumococcal vaccine. Receipt of influenza vaccination in the previous year was associated with the lowest odds of pneumococcal non-vaccination (aOR = 0.14 [95% CI: 0.13–0.15] for older adults and aOR = 0.23 [95% CI: 0.20–0.26] for those aged 47–64 with ≥1 CMC). Pneumococcal vaccine uptake was also more likely in case of contact with a family doctor in the previous year (versus no contact), increased with age and varied widely across provinces. Among individuals recently vaccinated against influenza, 32.6% (95% CI: 31.9–33.4) of those aged ≥65 and 71.1% (95% CI: 69.9–72.3) of those aged 47–64 with ≥1 CMC missed an opportunity to get a pneumococcal vaccine. Among individuals who had contact with a family doctor, 44.8% (95% CI: 44.1–45.5) of those aged ≥65 and 80.4% (95% CI: 79.6–81.2) of those aged 47–64 with ≥1 CMC experienced a MOV. Conclusions Pneumococcal vaccine uptake remains suboptimal among at-risk Canadian adults who are eligible for vaccination. Further research is needed to clarify the reasons behind missed opportunities for vaccination and adequately address the main barriers to pneumococcal vaccination.