The Impacts of Implementing Primary Care Indicators and Related Financial Incentives on the Trends of Vaccination Coverage Against Influenza Among Elderly People in Hungary

Background: Influenza is considered one of the most important global public health issues, and a main contributing factor to significant mortality and morbidity across many countries worldwide, especially among elderlies. This study aimed to evaluate the changes of flu vaccination coverage among elderlies in Hungary over the past years and to analyze the effect of implementing financial incentive related primary care indicators on the vaccination coverage. Methods: 95% Confidence intervals for proportions of people aged 65 or above regarding influenza vaccination status were calculated yearly in order to detect the trends of vaccination coverage in Hungary before and after an 8-year period of the introduction of indicators system. Results: Despite the financial motivational incentives provided to general practitioners to vaccinate their patients against influenza, the vaccination coverage is declining in recent years i.e. before the implementation: 36.01% (95% CI: 35.98 – 36.04); after the implementation: 28.03% (95% CI : 28.01 - 28.06). Conclusions: According to our results, the implementation of indicators system and related financial incentives could not exploit the potential opportunities in the aspect of increasing the flu vaccination coverage among elderlies in Hungary. Therefore, increasing the flu vaccination coverage should be achieved, not only with free -of- charge vaccines and financial incentives, but also with other possible options such as raising the awareness among people and implementing an effective, follow up system.