We assessed the perception and attitudes of university staff, including medical school and other science specialties, toward the 2009 A/H1N1 influenza pandemic and influenza vaccination program. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 4,529 university personnel on October 19-20, 2009. Seven hundred (15%) employees participated in the study. Only 18% were willing to be vaccinated, men more than women (29% versus 9%, P < 0.001), and professors/researchers more than administrative/technical staff (30% vs. 6%, P < 0.001). Intention to be vaccinated was insufficient. Additional efforts are needed to improve information dissemination among university staff. Medical university personnel should receive more information to increase vaccine coverage and protect them as well as patients.

The decision-making bodies of the University Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL) established a Health Observatory - OSPEL (Observatory of Health Personnel, University of Lyon 1) whose mission is to report epidemiological results on the health of university staff. An initial study had the following objectives: 1 / identify and collect the health issues and themes that staff wanted to see addressed by OSPEL and 2 / test the survey methodology through self-administered questionnaire via Internet from a representative sample of UCBL staff. In December 2008, a sample of 15% of the professional population of the university (n = 694) was invited by e-mail to answer a self-administered questionnaire available on the Internet. A sample of 607 people received this e-mail and 242 staff responded (39.9% rate of participation). A weight was factored in and applied to responses to redress the sample base of respondents and render it representative of the professional population at UCBL. Respondents chose three priority themes, "Quality of Life - Overall Health ? Well-being, "Mental Health-Stress" and "Occupational Risks" as the primary topics to be addressed by OSPEL. Respondents were predominantly women (63.5%), administrative and technical staff (56.8%), as well as professors (77.3%). The interest of this study is centered on the reactivity and the ubiquity of the Internet / Intranet methodology which facilitated the targeted collection of the health expectations of university staff. This survey is a first step in the development of more focused epidemiological investigations in line with the expectations of UCBL staff. Future surveys should consider the physical and temporal constraints suggested in this study.