Flu vaccine uptake varies by sociodemographic factors in chronic kidney disease patients

Among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), younger adults, Black individuals, and those with adverse social determinants of health are less likely to receive a flu vaccine, according to a study published online Sept. 15 in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases.

Junichi Ishigami, M.D., from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, and colleagues identified risk factors for not receiving an influenza vaccine ("nonvaccination") among people with CKD. The analysis included 3,692 participants in the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort Study.

The researchers found that between 2009 and 2020, the pooled mean vaccine uptake was 72 percent. Factors significantly associated with influenza nonvaccination were younger age (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR], 2.16 for <50 versus ≥75 years), Black race (aPR, 1.58 versus White race), lower education (aPR, 1.20 for less than high school versus college graduate), lower annual household income (aPR, 1.26 for <$20,000 versus >$100,000), formerly married status (aPR, 1.22 versus currently married), and nonemployed status (aPR, 1.13 versus employed).

Nonvaccination status was less likely among participants with diabetes (aPR, 0.80), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (aPR, 0.80), end-stage kidney disease (aPR, 0.64 versus estimated glomerular filtration rate ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m²), frailty (aPR, 0.86), and ideal physical activity (aPR, 0.90 versus physically inactive).

"Importantly, nephrology care may represent an important opportunity to increase vaccine uptake in patients with CKD by leveraging trusted relationships between nephrologists and patients," the authors write.

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