Influenza vaccination for healthcare workers who work with the elderly: systematic review.

Abstract

AIM:

To identify studies of influenza vaccination of HCWs and influenza in elderly residents in long-term care facilities.

SCOPE:

We searched seven electronic databases for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and non-RCTs. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed trial quality.

CONCLUSIONS:

The key outcomes are serologically proven influenza, pneumonia, and deaths from pneumonia, and pooled data from three C-RCTs showed no effect. Pooled data from three C-RCTs showed lower resident all-cause mortality, but as influenza constituted less than 10% of all deaths even in epidemic years we question the appropriateness of this outcome measure. Pooled data from three C-RCTs showed vaccination of HCWs reduced ILI and data from one C-RCT that HCW vaccination reduced GP consultations for ILI, but as influenza constitutes less than 25% of ILI and we did not show that HCW influenza vaccination reduced serologically proven influenza we question whether this effect is due to confounding.

• Authors: Roger E Thomas, Tom Jefferson, Toby J Lasserson
• Journal: Vaccine (Vaccine) Vol. 29 Issue 2 Pg. 344-56 (Dec 16 2010) ISSN: 1873-2518 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 20937313 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Review, Systematic Review)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Influenza Vaccines

Topics

• Aged
• Clinical Trials as Topic
• Cross Infection (prevention & control)
• Health Personnel
• Humans
• Incidence
• Influenza Vaccines (administration & dosage, immunology)
• Influenza, Human (complications, epidemiology, mortality, prevention & control)
• Nursing Homes
• Pneumonia (epidemiology, mortality, prevention & control)
• Vaccination (statistics & numerical data)