Increasing influenza vaccination uptake – TIP FLU
WHO/Cassandra Butu
Developing tailored interventions to increase influenza vaccination uptake among target groups
Increasing influenza vaccination uptake in priority target groups across the European Region is a key strategy for WHO/Europe. In 2013, the Influenza and other Respiratory Pathogens (IRP) programme initiated a project called TIP FLU to address low uptake of seasonal influenza vaccination. TIP FLU is an adaptation of the Tailoring Immunization Programmes (TIP) approach, originally implemented to increase or maintain childhood vaccination uptake in the Region.
TIP FLU is based on social and behavioural change models and provides tools to:
- identify priority populations
- determine barriers and enablers to vaccination
- implement evidence-informed interventions.
Health care workers (HCWs) constitute a priority group for seasonal influenza vaccination and have been the focus of attention for IRP's first application of the TIP FLU approach. The results have been published in a step-by-step guide to assist policy-makers and programme managers in designing evidence informed interventions with the aim to increase seasonal influenza vaccination uptake among HCWs.
A case study documenting the application of TIP FLU in Montenegro has also been published. This provides examples on how an understanding of the behavioural factors influencing seasonal influenza vaccination uptake among HCWs can be translated into concrete interventions.
