Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of seasonal influenza vaccination in healthcare workers, Honduras

Abstract

Background Seasonal influenza is a highly contagious vaccine-preventable disease that may cause high morbidity and mortality in susceptible populations. Healthcare workers are a priority group for seasonal influenza vaccination to protect them from contracting influenza and prevent nosocomial transmission to patients. This study aimed to evaluate knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of seasonal influenza vaccination among healthcare workers in Honduras. Method From August 24 to October 21, 2018, we conducted a cross-sectional KAP survey regarding seasonal influenza vaccination to a random sample of healthcare workers who attended patients in hospitals of the Ministry of Health of Honduras (SESAL) and Honduran Social Security Institute (IHSS). We reported frequency distributions of demographics, vaccination KAP, sources of information, and reasons for non-vaccination. We used principal components factor analysis to create knowledge and attitude scores. We used linear regression to analyze associations between demographics and sources of information about the influenza vaccine, and knowledge and attitude scores. We used logistic regression to analyze associations between demographics, sources of information, knowledge scores, and attitude scores, and influenza vaccination. Result We surveyed 947 healthcare workers who attended patients in 13 SESAL hospitals and two IHSS hospitals. Only 4.6% of participants knew the seasonal influenza vaccine was composed of inactivated viruses, 94.7% believed vaccination causes flu-like symptoms, and 52.0% were vaccinated for influenza in 2018. Knowledge scores were lower for nursing assistants and other healthcare professionals compared to doctors, and higher for healthcare workers who attended a healthcare facility training (P-values≤0.030). Attitude scores were higher for healthcare workers who attended ≥11 patients per day having ≤10 patients per day as reference, self-reported influenza vaccination in previous year, and cited trainings and informal information at the healthcare facility as sources of information for influenza vaccination (P-values≤0.030). Factors associated with self-reported vaccination were self-reported influenza vaccination in previous year (aOR: 7.61; 95% CI: 5.24–11.04), attitude score (aOR: 1.14; 95% CI: 1.07–1.21), and worked in a SESAL hospital (aOR: 1.73; 95% CI: 1.12–2.68) having IHSS as reference. Conclusion Although influenza vaccination is required by law in Honduras and available for free in public health centers, coverage of healthcare workers in 2018 was half that reported in 2017. Lower coverage may be attributed to misconceptions of vaccination side effects.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices for the use of seasonal influenza vaccination, healthcare workers, Costa Rica

“…Vaccination coverage in this study fell short of the 80% vaccination rate threshold proposed to reach herd immunity within healthcare facilities for seasonal influenza [ 26 ]. Suboptimal seasonal influenza vaccination coverage among healthcare workers may be attributed to misunderstandings of influenza virus and vaccine, which is consistent with other studies of healthcare workers [ 14 , 15 , 27 ]. Although a trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine is used in Costa Rica during vaccination campaigns, four-fifths of healthcare workers believed the vaccine was composed of active viruses.…”

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices associated with frequent influenza vaccination among healthcare personnel in Peru, 2016─2018

“…Overall, about 60% of HCP infrequently received influenza vaccines over an eight-year period; this population with low influenza vaccine uptake was primarily physicians and HCP who worked in an outpatient setting. Similar trends in low influenza vaccination coverage have been seen among HCP in KAP studies in Honduras [17] , Costa Rica [18] , Egypt [19] , and parts of the Middle East [20] . This low coverage was also seen in the general HCP population recruited into this study but excluded from analysis.…”

Seasonal influenza vaccine uptake among healthcare workers in tertiary care hospitals, Bangladesh: Study protocol for influenza vaccine supply and awareness intervention

“…Those who agree to participate will be interviewed according to the survey questionnaire. The structured questionnaire will be developed and contextualized following a review of the literature from prior research [ 40 – 44 ]. The questionnaire will be focused on the number of vaccinated HCWs (evidence from the signed vaccination card), socio-demographic information of the participants, including age, gender, profession (doctor/nurse), and department; perception of influenza risk; perception of vaccine effectiveness and side effects, practices of recommending vaccination to family and patients, and practice and attitude towards a mandatory vaccination and their willingness to pay for future vaccination.…”