Current Immunization Status and Factors Affecting the Influenza Vaccination in Kidney Transplant Patients

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The present study examines the current influenza immunization rate among kidney transplant patients in an effort to identify the factors influencing their decisions pertaining to the immunization. METHODS: Participants in the study included 150 adults over the age of 64 years who visited a General Surgery Department in Korea on April 2015, who had had a kidney transplant at least two years prior to the visit. We compared the characteristics of transplant patients who were immunized against those of the patients who had not been immunized. RESULTS: The average age of the participants was 48.5±9.6 years, consisting of 87 males (58.0%) and 63 females (42.0%). The average post-surgery period was 91.0±59.0 months. Between September and December 2014, the immunization rate among these participants was 61.3%. Factors which influenced the participant's decision to get immunized in 2014 and drove up the immunization rate were previous immunization in 2013 (OR=24.57, CI= 8.79-68.70, p<.001), marital status (OR=3.33, CI 1.05-10.56, p=.041), and awareness (OR=1.58, CI=0.99-2.52, p=.056). CONCLUSION: The current study found that the previous year's immunization record, marital status, and awareness increased the rate of immunization among the participants.