Predictors of herpes zoster vaccination among Australian adults aged 65 and over

Objective(s)
To estimate HZ vaccine coverage in Australia among older Australians and to identify potential barriers to vaccination.

Design
Analysis of data from three cross-sectional surveys administered online between 2019 and 2020.

Setting and participants
Adults aged 65 and over residing in Australia.

Main outcome measures
Self-reported herpes zoster vaccination.

Results
Among the 744 adults aged 65 and over in this sample, 32% reported being vaccinated for HZ, including 23% of participants aged 65–74, 55% of participants aged 75–84, and 0% for participants aged 85 and above. Those who are vaccinated with other immunisations are more likely to have received HZ vaccine, including seasonal influenza (OR = 4.41, 95 % CI: 2.44–7.98) and pneumococcal vaccines (OR = 4.43, 95 % CI: 2.92 – 6.75). Participants with a history of certain conditions, such as stroke (OR = 2.26, 95 % CI: 1.13–4.49), were more likely to be vaccinated against HZ. Participants that reported smoking tobacco daily were less likely to be vaccinated against HZ (OR = 0.48, 95 % CI: 0.26–0.89). Participants were less likely to be vaccinated against HZ if they preferred to develop immunity ‘naturally’ (OR = 0.29, 95 % CI: 0.15 – 0.57) or expressed distrust of vaccines (OR = 0.34, 95 % CI: 0.13–0.91).

Conclusion(s)
Further research is required to understand the barriers to HZ vaccine uptake. Increasing the funding eligibility for those who are at risk of complications from shingles, or lowering the age of eligibility, may increase vaccine coverage.