Influenza Vaccination of Healthcare Workers

Abstract

Objective:To assess factors associated with influenza vaccination of healthcare workers.Design:Cross-sectional survey.Setting:University-affiliated Veterans' Affairs medical center.Participants:Staff physicians and nurses employed by the medical center.Methods:A mailed, self-administered questionnaire.Results:The response rate was 38.0%. The mean age of the respondents was 43.6 years, 71.5% were females, and 26.2% were physicians. Nearly all of the practitioners had daily or weekly contact with elderly or high-risk patients. The influenza vaccination rate of the respondents was 61.2%. More than 50% of vaccine recipients indicated that avoiding illness, protecting patients, and being able to receive the vaccine conveniently and free of charge all were very important factors influencing their decisions to receive the vaccine. Avoiding illness was rated the most important factor by 58.8% of vaccine recipients. Among vaccine nonrecipients, concern about side effects was identified as a very important factor by 36.2% and as the most important factor by 30.9%.Vaccine recipients were significantly more likely than were vaccine nonrecipients to indicate that influenza and its complications are very serious for high-risk patients. They also were more likely to report that the vaccine is very effective, that influenza vaccination is uncommonly associated with side effects, that healthcare workers' risk for contracting influenza is higher than the general public's risk, and that it is very important for healthcare workers to receive the vaccine to decrease risk for transmission to high-risk patients. After stepwise logistic regression, variables independently associated with receipt of vaccine were age, prior receipt of vaccine, being a physician, considering the vaccine to be very effective, believing that systemic side effects are uncommon, and indicating that it is very important for healthcare workers to receive vaccine for the protection of their patients.Conclusion:Many healthcare workers fail to receive influenza vaccine each year. Strategies to improve immunization levels should address concerns about vaccine safety and efficacy, barriers to vaccination including inconvenience and cost, and the reasons for targeting healthcare workers.

Predictors of seasonal influenza vaccination among healthcare workers in hospitals: a descriptive meta-analysis

“…All studies included at least one demographic predictor (gender, age or occupation), eight studies included at least one behavioural predictor, and two studies included an organisational predictor. All studies were carried out in developed countries: six were performed in the USA,9 10 17 18 21 22 three in Europe,16 20 25 two in Canada19 23 and one in Australia,24 and one study was a multi-nationality survey 15. In most of the studies, influenza vaccines were provided for free by the hospitals on an annual, voluntary basis.…”

Influenza immunisation: attitudes and beliefs of UK healthcare workers

“…We have confirmed reports from smaller studies that the uptake is poor, [3][4][5][6][7] particularly in comparison with health professionals in the USA. [8][9][10][11] However, this survey postdated a change in policy to immunise healthy NHS staff, and explored residual barriers to uptake after intensive promotion by NHS occupational health departments.…”

Factors Affecting Acceptance and Intention to Receive Pandemic Influenza A H1N1 Vaccine among Primary School Children: A Cross-Sectional Study in Birmingham, UK

“…In addition, most of the research about reasons for accepting/refusing influenza vaccine (either seasonal or pandemic) has been undertaken amongst healthcare workers [11–15] and more recently healthy adults [16–18]. Studies so far have revealed that there were low levels of anxiety towards the swine flu pandemic [19, 20].…”