Category: Federal Forum Posters
Purpose: Among Veterans’ hospitals within Florida, individual facilities determine the primary influenza vaccine offered. Participating VAs offered the inactivated influenza vaccine trivalent high dose (IIV3-HD) to patients ≥ 65 years old living in a Community Living Center (CLC) or in geriatric clinics, while other sites only carried the inactivated influenza vaccine quadrivalent standard dose (IIV4-SD). This study aims to investigate if the IIV3-HD in Veterans ≥ 65 years reduced influenza and hospitalization rates compared to the IIV4-SD during influenza seasons with similar circulating strains.
Methods: A retrospective cohort database and chart review will be conducted on patients who reside in the VHA’s CLC or receive care at the Geriatric Clinic within Florida and Puerto Rico. Patients will be included in this study if they received the IIV3-HD or IIV4-SD vaccine during the 2015-2016, 2016-2017, or 2017-2018 influenza seasons. Each season is defined as starting at week 27 (beginning of July) to week 26 (end of June) of the following year. It is expected that 10,000 patients received an influenza vaccine in the study population from 2015-2018. The secondary objectives include comparing 30-day mortality rates, hospitalization due to influenza and pneumonia, and determining if there is a difference in antiviral use rates for treatment between the IIV3-HD and IIV4-SD. Baseline characteristics of all patients will be described using descriptive statistics. To determine statistical significance for the baseline characteristics, a Student’s t-test will be utilized. The chi-square test will determine statistical significance of the difference between the rates of confirmed rapid influenza diagnostic test, hospitalization, 30-day mortality, and antiviral use.
Results: Not applicable
Conclusion: Not applicable
Lalita Rayaprolu
– PGY1 Pharmacy Resident, James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital, Tampa, FL147 Views