Attitudes, perceptions and practices of influenza vaccination in the adult population: Results of a cross-sectional survey in Spain

Producción CientíficaIn Spain, the 2021/22 influenza season overlapped with the sixth wave of the 2019 coronavirus disease pandemic (COVID-19). Influenza is a major public health problem associated with high morbidity and mortality. The objectives of this study were to determine the knowledge, perceptions and practices of influenza vaccination in the Spanish population, coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic, with special attention paid to people over 65 years of age. A cross-sectional study was carried out by conducting 2211 telephone interviews. It was observed that 81.6% of people ≥ 65 years were vaccinated annually or with some frequency compared to 35.5% of those under 65 years (p < 0.001). Fifty percent of Spaniards showed an intention to be vaccinated in the 2021/22 campaign, during the SARS-CoV2 pandemic. In the case of people ≥ 65 years old, this figure was 83% compared to 42% of those under 65 years old (p < 0.001). Significant predictors of intention to be vaccinated were age of 65 years or older (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.3–2.5), female sex (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.5–2.4), belonging to risk groups (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.6–3.1) and having been previously vaccinated (OR 29.7, 95% CI 22.5–39.2). The main reasons for deciding to be vaccinated were the need to be protected against the virus and to be vaccinated annually. On the other hand, lack of recommendation and considering the influenza vaccine as not necessary were the main reasons for not getting vaccinated. In addition, health personnel stood out as the main source of information (32.9%) compared to traditional media (26.9%) and public administration (12.3%). This study aimed to assess and analyse the factors influencing willingness to receive influenza vaccines in the COVID-19 era among Spanish adults, as well as the main information channels and strategies to encourage vaccination

Treatment with tocilizumab or corticosteroids for COVID-19 patients with hyperinflammatory state: a multicentre cohort study (SAM-COVID-19)

Objectives: The objective of this study was to estimate the association between tocilizumab or corticosteroids and the risk of intubation or death in patients with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) with a hyperinflammatory state according to clinical and laboratory parameters. Methods: A cohort study was performed in 60 Spanish hospitals including 778 patients with COVID-19 and clinical and laboratory data indicative of a hyperinflammatory state. Treatment was mainly with tocilizumab, an intermediate-high dose of corticosteroids (IHDC), a pulse dose of corticosteroids (PDC), combination therapy, or no treatment. Primary outcome was intubation or death; follow-up was 21 days. Propensity score-adjusted estimations using Cox regression (logistic regression if needed) were calculated. Propensity scores were used as confounders, matching variables and for the inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTWs). Results: In all, 88, 117, 78 and 151 patients treated with tocilizumab, IHDC, PDC, and combination therapy, respectively, were compared with 344 untreated patients. The primary endpoint occurred in 10 (11.4%), 27 (23.1%), 12 (15.4%), 40 (25.6%) and 69 (21.1%), respectively. The IPTW-based hazard ratios (odds ratio for combination therapy) for the primary endpoint were 0.32 (95%CI 0.22-0.47; p < 0.001) for tocilizumab, 0.82 (0.71-1.30; p 0.82) for IHDC, 0.61 (0.43-0.86; p 0.006) for PDC, and 1.17 (0.86-1.58; p 0.30) for combination therapy. Other applications of the propensity score provided similar results, but were not significant for PDC. Tocilizumab was also associated with lower hazard of death alone in IPTW analysis (0.07; 0.02-0.17; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Tocilizumab might be useful in COVID-19 patients with a hyperinflammatory state and should be prioritized for randomized trials in this situatio

Attitudes, Perceptions and Practices of Influenza Vaccination in the Adult Population: Results of a Cross-Sectional Survey in Spain.

In Spain, the 2021/22 influenza season overlapped with the sixth wave of the 2019 coronavirus disease pandemic (COVID-19). Influenza is a major public health problem associated with high morbidity and mortality. The objectives of this study were to determine the knowledge, perceptions and practices of influenza vaccination in the Spanish population, coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic, with special attention paid to people over 65 years of age. A cross-sectional study was carried out by conducting 2211 telephone interviews. It was observed that 81.6% of people ≥ 65 years were vaccinated annually or with some frequency compared to 35.5% of those under 65 years (

Long-term influenza antibodies profiles in previously vaccinated and non-vaccinated adults

The aim of this work is to describe the dynamics of influenza antibodies after vaccination in adults. We conducted a case-cohort serological study in the automobile manufacturing plants of the Renault España S.A. group in Valladolid and Palencia (Spain), including 550 workers (66.9%) previously vaccinated against influenza (group V), and 272 (33.1%) never vaccinated (group NV). A pre-vaccination serum sample was collected, another after 30–40 days and another after 6 months. The dynamics of antibodies were analyzed. A lower seroprotection of NV before vaccination was observed, but an antibody response between 2 and 4 times higher than in V was assessed. After 6 months, antibodies declined in both groups until equalize. Antibodies titers decrease with age, and no differences were found among underlying pathologies. Adults never vaccinated against influenza had lower seroprotection than those previously vaccinated, but influenza vaccination produces a more intense serological response in them, acquiring significantly higher antibody titers than those previously vaccinated. The antibodies, although in lower titers, persist and equalize among both groups at least 6 months after vaccination, which allows the individual to be protected during the entire circulation of the influenza virus in the same season