Euro Surveill. 2026 Mar;31(12). doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2026.31.12.2500628.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUNDVaccination of residents and healthcare workers (HCWs) against influenza in nursing homes is an important prevention strategy.AIMTo describe trends in influenza vaccination coverage (VC) among HCWs working in nursing homes in France and measures implemented to support vaccination campaigns from 2007 to 2025, and to identify effectiveness of these measures.METHODSWe analysed data from seven nationwide cross-sectional studies conducted between seasons 2007/08 and 2024/25 and performed multivariate analysis using negative binomial regressions, to identify determinants.RESULTSNational influenza VC among HCWs decreased from 37.2% (95% CI: 35.7-39.4) in 2007/08 to 24.2% (95% CI: 23.2-25.1) in 2024/25 (mean: 39,740 HCWs per season, 6 seasons). Vaccination coverage disparities by category of HCWs (2024/25 VC of physicians: 56.3%; nurses: 34.2%; nursing assistants: 19.3%) were observed throughout the period. Measures to promote influenza vaccination were less frequently implemented over time: support of vaccination campaigns by the management team (from 2018/19: 89% to 2024/25: 52%), implementation of collective (68% to 49%) or individual information sessions (19% to 9%), distribution of information on influenza vaccines (64% to 53%) or influenza (83% to 69%). Seven measures exhibited effectiveness in 2018/19 compared to only four in 2024/25, which had less effectiveness. Management teams highlighted the strong reluctance of HCWs to receive influenza vaccination.CONCLUSIONSInfluenza VC among HCWs in nursing homes is marked by disparities among professional categories. To mitigate the decline in VC among HCWs, it is essential to implement effective measures to support the campaigns.
PMID:42141864 | DOI:10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2026.31.12.2500628
