Influenza Vaccination in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus Type 1

Abstract

This study assessed influenza vaccination coverage in children with diabetes mellitus type 1 in various epidemiological periods. Data were delivered from vaccination histories of 325 patients aged 7–18 years for a period of 2007–2012. Children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (125 patients — the study group) showed a lower influenza vaccination coverage compared with controls (myopia, obesity, short stature) in all seasons. However, the greatest difference was observed in 2007 (10.3 and 22.8 %, respectively; p = 0.028) and in 2009. Vaccination coverage against influenza using trivalent vaccine in children with diabetes mellitus was highest in the pandemic 2009 (21.8 %), while only 3.0 % were immunized against influenza A/H1N1. In the post-pandemic period (2011) in both compared groups vaccination coverage was lowest (7.5 and 11.3 %, respectively; p > 0.05). It should be noted that vaccination coverage using trivalent vaccine in 2009 was significantly higher in patients with diabetic complications compared with diabetic patients without complications (31.7 versus 7.3 %; p = 0.008). Pediatricians and endocrinologists should unite efforts to increase vaccination coverage against influenza.

Keywords

• children
• diabetes mellitus
• vaccination
• influenza