Our APLUSA study reveals the impact that a recommendation by the authorities for a more effective vaccine in the over-65s would have on acceptability and intentions to vaccinate against influenza.

Published with the permission of our client, here are results from a study carried out in July 2023 among 500 people aged 65 or over who do not receive the annual flu vaccine. Data were weighted by gender, age and region to be nationally representative of the French population.
Interviews were conducted by online self-administered questionnaire from July 19 to 25, 2023.

Worth noting:

• 79% of the 65+ population who don’t get the annual flu vaccine are nonetheless in favor of vaccination in general (rather favorable 59%; very favorable 19%).
• Half of the 65+ population who don’t get vaccinated against flu every year consider flu vaccination to be important (rather important 45%; very important 4%). The main obstacle concerns the perceived effectiveness of vaccines. (“I’m not convinced by the effectiveness of flu vaccines”: 39%)
• However, according to our study, the average intention to vaccinate against influenza could increase by 18% (from 2.8 to 3.3/7 on average) if an influenza vaccine were presented to them by their doctor or pharmacist as “recognized by the health authorities as having superior efficacy to existing vaccines for your age group” against influenza, hospitalizations and cardiorespiratory complications. A clear mention on the vaccination coupon would also generate the same increase in intention.
• More specifically, the average intention to vaccinate against influenza could increase by 32% (from an average of 2.2 to 2.9/7) among people who are currently unconvinced by the efficacy of influenza vaccines, when an influenza vaccine is presented to them by their doctor or pharmacist as being recognized by the health authorities as having superior efficacy to existing vaccines for their age group.
• Recognition by the health authorities of the superiority of a vaccine against influenza, hospitalizations and associated cardiorespiratory complications can therefore be a real incentive for influenza vaccination, and contribute to increasing vaccination coverage, which has been declining in France in recent years.