Analysis of Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviours of Health Care Workers towards Vaccine-Preventable Diseases and Recommended Vaccinations: An Observational Study in a Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Background: Recommended vaccinations are the cheapest and most effective measure to reduce the risk of transmission and related complications, especially in high-risk healthcare settings. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of HCWs in relation to national recommendations. Methods: A transversal study was conducted through administration of a questionnaire by personal interview. The following care units were involved: Paediatric, Neonatal, Cardiac Surgery and General Intensive Care Units and Infectious Diseases Unit. Results: The study sample comprised 308 HCWs. Half the sample were aware of the vaccination recommendations, with occupation and age found to be predictive factors (OR = 9.38, 95%CI: 2.07–42.41; OR = 0.36, 95%CI: 0.22–0.60). A higher percentage defined the diseases as a risk for their patients’ health, although this perception was lower in the over-40 age group. In several cases, there were statistically significant differences between the care units (p < 0.001). Around three-quarters of the sample agreed that vaccination should be mandatory; willingness to undergo a future booster vaccination was statistically correlated with the variables of age and care unit (p < 0.001, p = 0.03). Conclusion: The protection of health in the workplace can be achieved through some strategic actions, such as the implementation of educational strategies, and protocols for the monitoring of immunocompetence and the improvement of vaccination.

Attitudes and practices to adult vaccination among physicians before and after COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates

“…Even the Spanish GPs had slight scepticism when it comes to safety and efficacy of elderly vaccination schedules [25] . Riccio et al, found an overall inadequate perception regarding the dangerousness and risk of some VPDs with 20% believing that the risks of vaccination outweigh the benefits [26] .…”

Role of the European Pharmacist in the Implementation of the Latest WHO Guidelines for Malaria

“…Thus, the pharmacist must be attentive to the patient’s history and/or pathologies and/or allergies and/or chronic treatments to minimize any risk of possible drug interaction or contra-indication. The pharmacist must also be continuously trained on the different measures of protection, ongoing developments [ 43 ], such as the use and characteristics of the malaria vaccine RTS,S/AS01 [ 1 , 44 ] or the new types of insecticide-treated nets (pyrethroid and piperonyl butoxide treated nets) [ 1 , 23 , 45 ], even if these tools do not concern travelers and are therefore not available in Europe to date.…”

Understanding Factors Contributing to Vaccine Hesitancy in a Large Metropolitan Area

“…The literature primarily concentrates on parents, revealing that those with good knowledge and positive attitudes towards vaccinations are more likely to vaccinate their children, especially those with higher levels of education [33][34][35]. Additionally, other studies have been conducted among healthcare providers, indicating that physicians and younger individuals generally possess more knowledge and a better understanding of vaccination recommendations compared to other healthcare workers [36][37][38][39]. However, it is important to note that, due to the impact of the pandemic on academia, most of the recent studies focus specifically on hesitancy related to COVID-19 vaccination, neglecting the importance of other vaccinations [40].…”