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Researchers urged improved influenza vaccination rates for working adults aged 50 to 64 years
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Influenza-like illness was common among working adults aged 50 to 64 years; such illness is associated with a significant percentage of sickness, work loss and reduced work performance during the influenza season among adults in this age range.
Study results also demonstrated that working adults aged 50 to 64 years who received influenza vaccination were more likely to have better overall health and better work productivity. The researchers said this confirmed that health care providers should encourage improved vaccination rates for adults in this age range.
Between October 2006 and April 2007, the researchers studied adults aged 50 to 64 years who were employees of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. They recruited 497 people for this study. Internet-based questionnaires were used to record the data.
Four hundred and four participants reported receiving influenza vaccination for the 2006-2007 influenza season. Eighty-five of the participants experienced an influenza-like illness during the study period. Participants who experienced an influenza-like illness were sick for an average of eight days, missed an average of 1.5 days of work because of the illness and worked for an average of more than four days while symptomatic. Twenty-six of the participants who experienced an influenza-like illness visited a health care provider and 20 were given prescription antibiotics.
Among unvaccinated participants, influenza-like illness was associated with 45% of all days of illness during influenza season, 39% of all illness-related work days lost and 49% of illness-related reduced work productivity. In contrast, vaccination was associated with significantly lower rates of illness, absenteeism and reduced work productivity.
Clin Infect Dis. 2009;48:292-298.
One wonders if the “healthy vaccine” bias, now clearly demonstrated in observational studies of influenza vaccine effect on mortality in the elderly, may be operating here as well.
– Theodore C. Eickhoff, MD
Infectious Disease News Chief Medical Editor