Introduction:

Influenza, or the flu, is a contagious disease with a significant epidemiological impact worldwide. There is an annual vaccine specific to the circulating serotypes.

Objective:

To evaluate vaccine coverage among patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of influenza during a national outbreak at the National Hospital in Itauguá, Paraguay, in 2025.

Methodology:

A descriptive, cross-sectional, retrospective observational study with an analytical component was conducted. Patients hospitalized at the aforementioned hospital with a diagnosis of influenza were included. Data were collected from medical records and the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) system.

Results:

Sixty-nine patients were included, with a mean age of 54 ± 17 years; 56.5% were men, and 81.2% came from urban areas. Seventy-three-point nine percent were hypertensive, and 39.1% were smokers. Fifty-three-point-six percent did not require supplemental oxygen, and only 17.4% were vaccinated. Sixty-eight-point-one percent developed a severe form of influenza, and 65.2% developed pneumonia. The mean length of hospital stay was 11 ± 6 days, and 4.3% died. Vaccination reduced the probability of developing severe forms of the disease by 60% (OR = 0.4, 95% CI (0.1-1.3), p = 0.13) and prolonged hospitalization (OR = 0.4, 95% CI (0.1-1.5), p = 0.20).

Conclusions:

Most patients did not receive the annual influenza vaccine, and more than half developed severe forms of influenza, such as pneumonia. Vaccination was associated with a lower probability of developing severe forms of the disease and prolonged hospitalization.

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