Sensitivity and specificity of patient self-report of influenza and pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccinations among elderly outpatients in diverse patient care strata

• Published in: Vaccine 2003-03, Vol.21 (13), p.1486-1491
• Main Authors: Zimmerman, Richard Kent, Raymund, Mahlon, Janosky, Janine E, Nowalk, Mary Patricia, Fine, Michael J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Female; Humans; Immunization; Influenza; Influenza Vaccines - administration & dosage; Inner city; Male; Patient Care; Pneumococcal Vaccines - administration & dosage; Pneumonia; Self-report; Sensitivity and Specificity; Streptococcus pneumoniae; Vaccination; Vaccination - statistics & numerical data; Vaccines; Validity
• ISSN: 0264-410X; 1873-2518
• DOI: 10.1016/S0264-410X(02)00700-4

National surveys of adult vaccination indicate moderate self-reported immunization rates in the US, with limited validity data. We compared self-report with medical record abstraction for 820 persons aged ≥66 years from inner-city health centers, Veterans Affairs (VA) outpatient clinics, rural and suburban practices. For influenza vaccine, sensitivity was 98% (95% CI: 96–99%); specificity was 38% (95% CI: 33–43%). For pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine, sensitivity was 85% (95% CI: 82–89%) and specificity was 46% (95% CI: 42–50%). The VA had the highest sensitivity and lowest specificity for both vaccines while the converse was true in inner-city centers. High negative predictive values indicate that clinicians can confidently vaccinate based on negative patient self-report.