OBJECTIVES : One of the targets of the Global Vaccine Action plan, is to provide equitable access to vaccines to all people. It is, therefore, important to assess the vaccination rates among both general adult population and the high-risk groups in both western and Asian countries.

METHODS : This project included data from five datasets of the National Health and Wellness Survey (NHWS): 2018 for EU, US and Japan and 2020 for South Korea and Taiwan. Internet-based health questionnaire were administered to a nationwide sample of adults (aged 18 or older) which included items on vaccination history as well as high-risk group status. Vaccination rates in the general population and high-risk groups were reported descriptively. Logistic regressions were conducted to predict vaccination behaviour from sociodemographic and risk-related variables.

RESULTS : The influenza vaccination rate for all adults 18 years and older and high-risk groups was the highest for US, while, among the Asian countries, South Korea had the highest vaccination rates for both the general population and high-risk groups. However, the vaccination rates were above 50% in US for high-risk groups such as those with renal disease (60.11%), COPD (56.50%), coronary heart disease (CHD) (58.02%), diabetes (55.5%), immunocompressed (53.94%) and those above 65 years old (53.54%). On the contrary, the vaccination rates were below 50% in all the high-risk groups in Asian countries including South Korea which had the highest vaccination rates.

CONCLUSIONS : Vaccination rates were lower in Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea and Taiwan compared to EU and US. Additionally, there were relatively lower rates of vaccination for all the high-risk groups in Asia. This highlights the need to tailor vaccination strategies for Asia, to address the immunization gaps and reach both the general population and the high-risk groups.