Medical students’ attitude towards influenza vaccination

Abstract

BackgroundInfluenza vaccination is recommended for all healthcare personnel (HCP) and most institutions offer vaccination for free and on site. However, medical students do not always have such easy access, and the predictors that might guide the motivation of medical students to get vaccinated are largely unknown.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional survey study among pre-clinical medical students in a German University hospital to assess the social cognitive predictors of influenza vaccination, as well as reasons for refusal and acceptance of the vaccine.ResultsFindings show that pre-clinical medical students have comparable knowledge gaps and negative attitudes towards influenza vaccination that have previously been reported among HCP. Lower injunctive norms and higher feelings of autonomy contribute to no intention to get vaccinated against influenza, while a positive instrumental attitude and higher feelings of autonomy contribute to a high intention to get vaccinated. The variables in the regression model explained 20% of the variance in intention to get vaccinated.ConclusionsThe identified factors should be addressed early in medical education, and hospitals might benefit from a more inclusive vaccination program and accessibility of free vaccines for their medical students.

A campaign aimed at increasing seasonal influenza vaccination coverage among post graduate medical residents in an Italian teaching hospital

“…As a matter of fact, an education that strengthens and focuses on prevention strategies may represent further driving force that increases the vaccination coverage. [27][28][29] We could not assess whether the vaccination campaign strategies we adopted could reach all MRs and, if they did, to what extent they helped to increase the influenza vaccination coverage.…”

Medical students' attitude toward influenza vaccination: Results of a survey in the University of Bari (Italy)

“…One study reports a lack of knowledge, while the others highlight the reasons for accepting or refusing influenza vaccination. [23][24][25][26]29 Self-protection, patient protection, free offer were the reasons for vaccination acceptance. Forgetfulness, concerns about side-effects, low risk-perception were the reasons for vaccination refusal.…”

“…Forgetfulness, concerns about side-effects, low risk-perception were the reasons for vaccination refusal. [23][24][25][26]29 One of the mentioned study demonstrated that occupational risk perception is greater for Hepatitis B than influenza. 23 The determinants of vaccination acceptance highlighted in the cited surveys are similar to ones analyzed in our study, but none of these studies analyzed the potential role of academic institution in the vaccine promotion and this is the principal strength of our study.…”

“…22 Medical and paramedical students could represent a special group sharing a major awareness of the significance of high vaccine coverage but only few studies investigated the vaccination coverage and the opinion about flu vaccination of Medical Schools students. [23][24][25][26] Moreover easy access to the vaccine is not always offered to medical students, even when they have regular patients contact. 10 In Italy, since 2012, National Immunization Plan recommends the active and free offer of vaccination against flu to medical students but few Medical Schools has implemented the plan so far.…”

Wissen und Einstellungen über die saisonale Influenza-Impfung von Hebammenschülerinnen in Nordrhein-Westfalen: Ergebnisse einer Querschnittsstudie

“…Daher scheint es unerlässlich, die im nationalen und internationalen Forschungsfokus eher selten betrachtete Berufsgruppe der Hebammen näher zu beleuchten [10,11,16,[18][19][20]. Hierbei erweckt insbesondere die Subgruppe der Hebammenschülerinnen Interesse, die im Gegensatz zum ärztlichen Nachwuchs noch nicht national oder international untersucht wurde [21]. Ziel dieser Studie war, erstmalig Einstellungen und Wissensstand bezüglich Impfungen im Allgemeinen sowie der Influenza-Impfung im Speziellen von Hebammenschülerinnen zu erfassen.…”