You can provide a vaccine for elderly patients but you can't make all of them take it

'Nicholson et al (see Inpharma 758: 1216, 13 Oct 1990] have suggested that providing educational material about the risks and benefits of influenza vaccine and reappraising practice strategies may increase the number of elderly people who are immunised. Unfortunately, our experience in patients of aWages does not confirm this.'

During winter in Scotland, letters were sent to eligible patients aged > 65 years inviting them to attend for influenza vaccination. Home visits were provided for immobile patients and nonattenders received a follow-up letter Questioning the reasons for their refusal of vaccination. This procedure was carried out over 2 winters, with the invitational letter in the second year providing more detail about reasons for, and adverse effects of, vaccination than in the first year.

Vaccine uptake was 70.4% in the first year and 60.6% in the second. Reasons for refusal of vaccination were inconsistent but included previous adverse reactions and the consideration that vaccination was unimportant. Wakefield IR. Influenza vaccination and the elderly. British Medical Journal 301: 1216.24 Nov 1990 [Summarised from a letter to the Editor] '""

6 8 Dec 1990 INPHARMA® ISSN 0156-1703/90/1208-0006/ 0$01.00/0 © Adis International Ltd