Aim To investigate whether there are differences between the populations of elderly immigrants and native Dutch in the take-up of influenza vaccination and in knowledge of and attitudes towards influenza and influenza vaccination. Method Face-to-face interviews with 8 Turkish, 12 Moroccan, 18 Surinamese and 38 native Dutch people aged 55 years or older. According to their GPs these elderly people required influenza vaccination either for medical reasons or because they were over 65 years of age. Results The most important reasons given by elderly immigrants for not taking up the vaccination are related to the organisation of the vaccination campaign. Among the Dutch elderly there seems to be resistance based on doubts about the effectiveness/usefulness of influenza vaccination. Furthermore, elderly immigrants see influenza as a more serious illness than their Dutch counterparts. The elderly Dutch respondents were also less willing to be vaccinated during the approaching campaign. Conclusion Culturally determined attitudes seem important in the degree of readiness to be vaccinated against influenza. Personal invitations, issued in the immigrants' native language, would seem to provide a means of increasing vaccination rates among those elderly immigrants with positive attitudes towards influenza vaccination. In the case of the elderly Dutch native population it is important to combat their opposition to influenza vaccination.

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