Flu vaccination by age, gender and risicogroep:1991-2009.

This table contains the results of the CBS annual health survey on questions related to influenza vaccination. Every year, 90 % of flu vaccinations take place in the months of October and November. Respondents who participated in the survey in the first half of 1992 (until June) were included in the 1991 vaccination year. This information is considered as the baseline measurement: it shows the situation before the start of publicity campaigns for flu vaccinations in the autumn of 1992. For the 1992 vaccination year, the vaccination rate was calculated from the respondents surveyed in the second half of 1992 and the first half of 1993. The same method was used for the years 1993 to 2005. Thus, the figures for the year 2008 refer to persons who participated in the health survey between July 2008 and June 2009. The government’s campaign to get the (free) flu shot is mainly aimed at the so-called risk groups. The risk group initially counted people with heart, vascular, lung, and kidney disease, diabetes patients and generally people with reduced immune systems due to illness or medical treatment. On the basis of an opinion of the Health Council, as of autumn 1997, all people aged 65 or older are considered a risk group for flu. Therefore, age groups 65-74 and 75 years or older are only listed among risk groups. The figures before 1997 were recalculated according to this reclassification. As of 2008, the health council has further reduced the age limit to 60 years. In order to maintain the continuity of the figures, this reduction in the age limit has not been introduced in the table. Thus, the 60-64 year olds are not included in the risk group in this table. The figures refer to persons aged 16 years or older. In the table, the data can be divided into the following characteristics: — gender — age class characteristics can be distinguished both for the risk group and for the non-risk group. Data available from 1991 to 2009. Status of the figures: The data is final. Changes as of 2 March 2015 None, this table has been discontinued. When are new figures coming? No longer applicable. More recent figures on flu vaccinations have been published in the table ‘Lifestyle, Preventive Research’; personal characteristics’. See paragraph 3.