Influenza Vaccination in Patients With Congenital Heart Disease in the Pre-COVID-19 Era: Coverage Rate, Patient Characteristics, and Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Influenza vaccination is the most commonly recommended immune prevention strategy. However, data on influenza vaccination in patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) are scarce. In this study, our goals were to: (1) measure vaccination coverage rates (VCRs) for influenza in a large cohort of children, adolescents, and adults with CHD; (2) identify patient characteristics as predictors for vaccination; and (3) investigate the effect of influenza vaccination on hospitalization. METHODS: A nationwide cohort study in Belgium included 16,778 patients, representing 134,782 vaccinatio... Mehr ...