Italy: flu vaccination coverage elderly by region 2023

During the flu season 2022-2023, about 56.7 percent of elderly individuals in Italy received a flu vaccination. This statistic highlights regional differences in this figure. According to the data, Umbria was the region with the highest share of over 65 year old individuals receiving such a vaccination, with 68.7 percent. Conversely, only 37.3 percent of the elderly living in the Sardinia were vaccinated that year. When looking at the regional differences in this matter, considering the overall population, Umbria was still the region with the highest rate of flu vaccination with almost 24 percent coverage, followed by the regions of Apulia and Tuscany.

Vaccination over time

In the last two decades, the share of individuals in Italy aged 65 years and older vaccinated against the flu has fluctuated. According to the data, flu coverage for elderly people increased consistently up to the season 2005-2006, when it peaked at 68.3 percent, it then decreased considerably until the flu season 2021-2022, when it reached 58.1 percent. A similar trend, with lower rates, is observed when looking at the flu vaccination coverage rate of the overall population in Italy. In this case the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 also corresponded to a steep increase in people getting vaccinated against influenza.

Flu vaccination by age

Elderly people have a higher chance of developing flu-related complications that might lead to hospitalization and death, and for this reason they are recommended by the Italian Ministry of Health to get vaccinated against seasonal flu every year. As a matter of fact, during the flu season 2022-2023 coverage was highest among individuals aged 65 years and older, children aged 5-8 years followed, with a vaccination rate of 22.6 percent.