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Volume 27-10
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PROGRESS TOWARDS CANADIAN TARGET COVERAGE RATES FOR INFLUENZA AND PNEUMOCOCCAL IMMUNIZATIONS
National targets for influenza and pneumococcal immunization coverage rates were agreed upon at the national consensus conferences on influenza (1993) and pneumococcal disease (1998)(1,2). Target coverage rates, based on the National Advisory Committee on Immunization's (NACI) recommended target groups, are as follows: (1) influenza vaccine: 70% coverage for both (a) persons >= 65 years of age and (b) all persons with high risk medical conditions (excluding residents of long-term care facilities) by the year 2000-2001(1), and; (2) pneumococcal vaccine: 80% coverage for all recommended target groups (similar populations as influenza vaccine) by the year 2003(2). A recent survey indicated that 12 out of 13 provinces and territories (PT) have publicly funded influenza immunization programs and all PT have publicly-funded pneumococcal programs(3). To evaluate the progress towards these national targets, the Division of Respiratory Diseases commissioned a polling company to conduct a random-digit dialling telephone survey to estimate national influenza and pneumococcal immunization coverage rates. Residents from all PT were included. PT sample sizes were weighted based on their proportion of the Canadian population. In January and February 2001, 3,501 non-institutionalized Canadian residents >= 18 years of age were surveyed. Table 1 shows the results of the survey. The results of this survey indicate that Canada has met its target coverage rate for influenza immunizations in the >= 65 years of age risk group. Canada has not met its target coverage rate for influenza immunizations for all persons with high-risk medical conditions and is currently not well placed to meet its target coverage rates for pneumococcal immunizations for 2003. Efforts need to be intensified to target these high-risk groups to improve their influenza and pneumococcal immunization coverage rates.
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References
Source: SG Squires MSc, JF Macey MA, MSc, T Tam BMBS (UK), FRCPC, Division of Respiratory Diseases, Centre for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. [Previous] [Table of Contents] [Next]
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Last Updated: 2001-05-15 |