Prevalence and associated factors of influenza vaccination coverage in Korean adults with cardiovascular disease

Infection with influenza virus increases morbidity and mortality in patients with risk factors, including cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study aimed to evaluate factors associated with influenza vaccination coverage in Korean CVD patients. We included 19,599 adults from the 2010 to 2012 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Influenza vaccination rates were compared in subjects with and without CVD. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with influenza vaccination in Korean adults with CVD before and after stratification for age (<65 and ≥65 years). Significantly higher vaccination rates were observed in individuals with CVD than in those without CVD (61.4% vs 31.0%, P < .001). However, young individuals (19–49 years) had decreased influenza vaccination rates, with no difference based on CVD status (20.3% vs 21.6%, P = .859). A lack of private insurance (odds ratio [OR], 0.47; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.23–0.98) and recent health screening (OR, 4.56; 95% CI, 1.90–10.92) were independent factors for influenza vaccination in CVD patients aged <65 years, whereas female sex (OR, 3.71; 95% CI, 1.24–11.07) and less education (OR, 4.59; 95% CI, 1.27–16.61) were independent factors in CVD patients aged ≥65 years. Improving influenza vaccination coverage for Korean adults with CVD is important, especially in young patients. For young patients with CVD, influenza vaccination status is independently associated with the presence of private insurance and recent health screening. This finding could help establish public health policies to promote influenza vaccination in this population.