Frequency and Consequences of Influenza Vaccination in Adults With Congenital Heart Disease

Immunization against influenza is a critical, but perhaps underappreciated prevention of morbidity and mortality in the cardiac population. The purpose of the present study is to examine influenza vaccination rates in adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD). A secondary purpose is to explore whether there is an association between demographic, medical, and behavioral variables and receipt of the influenza vaccination. Of the 183 consecutive ACHD patients who were contacted, 123 responded to our telephone survey. Mean age was 38.4 ± 14.7, with the most common type of lesion complexity being moderate (65.3%), followed by simple (21.0%) and severe (13.7%). Overall, 53 respondents reported undergoing influenza vaccination in the previous season. Fifty-two percent of all subjects claimed they were notified of the benefits of vaccination by their physician. Univariate analysis revealed that older age (p = 0.006), female gender (p = 0.027), perceived susceptibility to influenza illness (p <0.001), perceived severity of the influenza illness (p <0.001), perceived benefits of the influenza vaccination (p <0.001), side effects from previous immunization (p = 0.006), and physician recommendation (p = 0.008) were predictors of receipt of influenza vaccination. On multivariate analyses, however, only side effects from previous immunization was a predictor (odds ratio = 0.34 [95% confidence interval 0.13 to 0.91]), whereas physician recommendation was numerically, but not statistically, significant (odds ratio 2.01 [95% confidence interval 0.85 to 4.78]). Our study demonstrated that less than 50% of ACHD population receives influenza vaccination. We believe educating both the patients about the side effects of vaccination and the physicians about their role in counseling ACHD patients will increase the vaccination rates in this high-risk population.