{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T10:30:00Z","timestamp":1785407400589,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":15,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,12]],"date-time":"2026-05-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1778544000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100004281","name":"National Science Centre Poland","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["2021\/41\/B\/NZ6\/00749"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2021\/41\/B\/NZ6\/00749"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100004281","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"award":["2021\/41\/B\/NZ6\/00749"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2021\/41\/B\/NZ6\/00749"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/03ha2q922","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Infectious Disease Reports"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Vaccinations prevent severe respiratory infections in older adults, yet uptake in Polish long-term care facilities (LTCFs) remains poorly characterized. We assessed influenza and pneumococcal vaccination coverage and factors associated with uptake, including the influence of local government financing. Methods: In this prospective observational study (January\u2013June 2022), residents aged \u226565 years from eight LTCFs in southern Poland (four public, four private) were evaluated. Clinical data and geriatric assessments (Barthel Index, ADL, FRAIL-NH) were obtained from medical records and questionnaires. Comparative analyses were limited to residents living in facilities where vaccination activities were implemented and for whom complete data were available. Results: Overall, 429 residents were assessed: 136 (31.7%) received influenza vaccination and 77 (17.9%) received pneumococcal vaccination. Three of the eight LTCFs administered neither influenza nor pneumococcal vaccines, highlighting a facility-level access gap. For individual-level comparisons, 260 residents with complete data from LTCFs offering vaccination were analyzed (245 for pneumococcal outcomes). Influenza vaccination was not associated with most comorbidities or functional measures, but was more common among residents with dementia. Pneumococcal vaccine recipients were younger, had better functional status, and exhibited a lower burden of comorbidities than unvaccinated residents, suggesting preferential vaccination of fitter individuals. Municipality-level data showed low uptake of publicly funded pneumococcal programs (6.1% in Krak\u00f3w; 3.6% in Wilkowice). Conclusions: Vaccination coverage among LTCF residents was low and strongly influenced by structural access at the facility level. Simplifying costs, reducing out-of-pocket costs and addressing potential age-related biases are essential to improving equitable immunization in Polish LTCFs.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/idr18030045","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,13]],"date-time":"2026-05-13T07:44:26Z","timestamp":1778658266000},"page":"45","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Facility-Level Access Drives Disparities in Influenza and Pneumococcal Vaccination in Long-Term Care Facilities in Southern Poland"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"given":"Zofia","family":"Gniadek","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infection Control and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-121 Krak\u00f3w, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1067-9964","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Estera","family":"Jachowicz-Matczak","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infection Control and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-121 Krak\u00f3w, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Cezary","family":"Kapturkiewicz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infection Control and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-121 Krak\u00f3w, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Izabella","family":"Bylica","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infection Control and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-121 Krak\u00f3w, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dorota","family":"Romaniszyn","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infection Control and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-121 Krak\u00f3w, Poland"},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Applied Sciences in Tarnow, 33-100 Tarn\u00f3w, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0756-1639","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jadwiga","family":"W\u00f3jkowska-Mach","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infection Control and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-121 Krak\u00f3w, Poland"},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Applied Sciences in Tarnow, 33-100 Tarn\u00f3w, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,12]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Public Health (2025, April 15). Understanding Vaccines. Available online: https:\/\/www.publichealth.org\/public-awareness\/understanding-vaccines\/."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"S34","DOI":"10.1136\/archdischild-2013-305693","article-title":"World Health Organization perspectives on the contribution of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization on reducing child mortality","volume":"100","author":"Bustreo","year":"2015","journal-title":"Arch. Dis. Child."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Brodowicz, J., Heczko, P., Jachowicz-Matczak, E., Gajda, M., Gawlik, K., Pawlica-Gosiewska, D., Solnica, B., and W\u00f3jkowska-Mach, J. (2025). A Multi-Center Prospective Study on Post-Vaccination Humoral Response to SARS-CoV-2 in Polish Long-Term Care Facility Residents: Associations with COVID-19 Clinical Course and Comorbidities. Infect. Dis. Rep., 17.","DOI":"10.3390\/idr17040089"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"afac104","DOI":"10.1093\/ageing\/afac104","article-title":"Comprehensive geriatric assessment in older people: An umbrella review of health outcomes","volume":"51","author":"Veronese","year":"2022","journal-title":"Age Ageing"},{"key":"ref_5","unstructured":"(2025, April 15). Krak\u00f3w Vaccination Against Pneumococci in LCTFs Program. Available online: https:\/\/www.krakow.pl\/aktualnosci\/255117,26,komunikat,pensjonariusze_dps_szczepieni_przeciwko_pneumokokom.html?_ga=2.11487607.2128914128.1638172256-1689343000.1588761760."},{"key":"ref_6","unstructured":"Ma\u0142opolski Urz\u0105d Wojew\u00f3dzki (2025, April 15). Rejestr Dom\u00f3w Pomocy Spo\u0142ecznej 2024, Available online: https:\/\/www.malopolska.uw.gov.pl\/doc\/Rejestr%20DPS%202024.pdf."},{"key":"ref_7","unstructured":"\u015al\u0105ski Urz\u0105d Wojew\u00f3dzki (2025, April 15). Wykazy i Rejestry\u2014Domy Pomocy Spo\u0142ecznej, Available online: https:\/\/www.katowice.uw.gov.pl\/wydzial\/wydzial-rodziny-i-polityki-spolecznej\/wykazy-i-rejestry."},{"key":"ref_8","unstructured":"(2025, April 15). Wilkowice Vaccination Against Pneumococci Program. Available online: https:\/\/wilkowice.pl\/dla-mieszkanca\/bezpieczenstwo\/profilaktyka\/szczepienia-przeciwko-pneumokokom."},{"key":"ref_9","unstructured":"NIZP-PZH (2025, April 15). Influenza and Influenza-Like Illness in Poland, Available online: https:\/\/wwwold.pzh.gov.pl\/oldpage\/epimeld\/grypa\/aindex.htm."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3257","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vaccine.2024.04.019","article-title":"Effect of the PCV 10 vaccination on community-acquired pneumonia hospitalisations after four years of its introduction into the Polish National Immunisation Programme: Follow-up study","volume":"42","author":"Gajewska","year":"2024","journal-title":"Vaccine"},{"key":"ref_11","unstructured":"Longevity Centre UK (2025, April 15). European Pneumococcal Vaccination: A Progress Report. Available online: https:\/\/ilcuk.org.uk\/european-pneumococcal-vaccination-a-progress-report\/."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.15585\/mmwr.ss7706a1","article-title":"Laboratory-Confirmed Influenza-Associated Hospitalizations Among Children and Adults\u2014Influenza Hospitalization Surveillance Network, United States, 2010\u20132023","volume":"73","author":"Naquin","year":"2024","journal-title":"MMWR Surveill. Summ."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Samel-Kowalik, P., Jankowski, M., Lisiecka-Bie\u0142anowicz, M., Ostrowska, A., Gujski, M., Kobuszewski, B., Pinkas, J., and Raciborski, F. (2021). Factors associated with attitudes towards seasonal influenza vaccination in Poland: A nationwide cross-sectional survey in 2020. Vaccines, 9.","DOI":"10.3390\/vaccines9111336"},{"key":"ref_14","unstructured":"Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) (2025, December 15). The Structure of the Amount of Benefits Paid by ZUS After Indexation in March 2022. Available online: https:\/\/www.zus.pl\/documents\/10182\/39637\/Struktura+wysoko\u015bci+\u015bwiadcze\u0144+wyp\u0142acanych+przez+ZUS+po+waloryzacji+w+marcu+2022+r..pdf\/75b859ca-4130-0372-9d23-27c1882aced6?t=1697110177487."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1879","DOI":"10.1086\/324491","article-title":"Cost-effectiveness of vaccination versus treatment of influenza in healthy adolescents and adults","volume":"33","author":"Muennig","year":"2001","journal-title":"Clin. Infect. Dis."}],"container-title":["Infectious Disease Reports"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2036-7449\/18\/3\/45\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,14]],"date-time":"2026-05-14T04:19:52Z","timestamp":1778732392000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2036-7449\/18\/3\/45"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,12]]},"references-count":15,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6]]}},"alternative-id":["idr18030045"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/idr18030045","relation":{},"ISSN":["2036-7449"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2036-7449","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,12]]}}}