Medical students’ attitudes and perceptions of influenza and SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in Cyprus

Strouthou, Eleana; Karageorgos, Spyridon A.; Christaki, Eirini; Agouridis, Aris P.; Tsioutis, Constantinos

doi:10.18683/germs.2022.1321

Cited by 9 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 22 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Likewise, a survey of 341 students in Saudi Arabia [18] reported a 30.7% rate in the current season (2020/2021), while 80.4% of respondents claimed to have been vaccinated in previous seasons. Likewise, medical students in Cyprus [19] had a vaccination rate of 20.1% in the 2020/2021 season, but indicated that 50.8% had been vaccinated in previous seasons. A higher rate of influenza vaccination was reported in a Canadian study [14] involving 300 healthcare students and covering two influenza seasons (2014-2016) prior to the pandemic: 85.4% in the 2014/2015 season and averaging 71.2% across both seasons.…”

Section: Influenza Vaccination Ratesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influenza Vaccination of Romanian Medical Students and Resident Physicians—A Matter of Accessibility

Bălan,

Ruță

2023

Vaccines

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In Romania, influenza vaccination of healthcare professionals is recommended, but not mandatory. This study aims to investigate the attitudes and behaviors of medical students and resident physicians—the youngest healthcare professionals—towards influenza immunization, focusing on the barriers and facilitators, as well as on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. An anonymous online survey was conducted during the 2021/2022 influenza season, with responses from332 medical students and resident physicians. The majority (73.5%) were not vaccinated against influenza (68% of the students, 52.3% of the residents), although they were vaccinated against COVID-19 (94% students, 94.8% resident physicians) and believed that the pandemic positively influenced their attitude towards influenza vaccination. Vaccine accessibility (p < 0.001) and the necessity to pay for vaccination (p < 0.001) were identified as barriers in both groups, while lack of recommendation from a medical professional/teacher was significant only for students (p < 0.001). Forgetfulness and lack of prioritizations were the most cited reasons for not being vaccinated. These barriers could be diminished through proactive recommendation and simplification of the vaccination process, with accessible vaccination centers and implementation of vaccine reimbursement policies. Improved vaccination rates in young medical professionals are of the utmost importance both in their professional settings and as a model for the general population.

show abstract

Section: Influenza Vaccination Ratesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influenza Vaccination of Romanian Medical Students and Resident Physicians—A Matter of Accessibility

Bălan,

Ruță

2023

Vaccines

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The intense communication campaigns regarding COVID-19 vaccination conducted, especially immediately after the vaccination campaign was launched, with messages and educational events designed for medical students, as well as HCW prioritization for the COVID-19 vaccination and the involvement of medical students in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic (volunteering in healthcare facilities, public health authorities, vaccination centers) were associated with a greater interest of the respondents regarding this vaccination compared to the influenza vaccination. The positive attitude towards COVID-19 vaccination compared to influenza vaccination was also reported in a Cypriot study published in 2022, where it was explained by the increased risk perception of COVID-19, the low-risk perception of influenza, and the publicity of the pandemic [ 23 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 82%

Influenza Vaccination of Romanian Medical Students during COVID-19 Times: From Knowledge to Behavior

Enciu,

Păuna,

Chivu

et al. 2024

Vaccines

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In Romania, influenza vaccination uptake among healthcare workers decreased over time despite access to the vaccine being constantly improved. The aim of this paper is to provide a comparative analysis of the knowledge and attitudes of Dental Medicine and Medicine students towards recommended vaccinations for healthcare workers, focusing on influenza vaccination. A cross-sectional study was conducted during the entire 2021–2022 academic year. Data were collected using 2 electronic questionnaires which were applied to the students from the Faculty of Medicine (n = 883) and, respectively, the Faculty of Dental Medicine of the Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania. The questionnaires were offered to 1187 students and completed by 911 students (response rate = 77%). Out of these, 85% (n = 778) identified the influenza vaccine as recommended; 35% (n = 321) reported getting an annual influenza vaccination; and 37% (333) reported getting an influenza vaccination in the previous season. Overall, 45% (n = 222) of the respondents who completed the questionnaires from October 2021 to February 2022 reported that they intend to get vaccinated against influenza in the 2021–2022 season and approximately 8% (n = 39) reported that they had already been vaccinated. The multivariable analysis showed that the habit of getting annually vaccinated against influenza as well as the knowledge that influenza vaccine is recommended for all healthcare workers were associated with a higher probability of intending to get vaccinated. The current study emphasizes the need to raise awareness among medical students regarding influenza vaccination and to involve medical education institutions, public health authorities, and healthcare facilities in promoting this vaccination among students since the influenza vaccine uptake rate among medical students included in this study was suboptimal.

show abstract

“…When participants were asked about reasons that might prevent them from receiving booster vaccinations, 44.9% reported their fear of side effects as a major concern. This fear may be in uenced by the misinformation about the side effects of COVID-19 vaccines [21,22]. Interestingly, most of those who reported fear as a limitation were students in their academic years.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice of Egyptian Medical Students Towards Healthcare Workers’ Recommended Vaccines: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Survey

Shawqi,

El-Said,

Behery

et al. 2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Vaccination of healthcare workers (HCWs) is pivotal to decrease the incidence of contagious infections in hospital settings. Herein, we assessed the knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding HCWs’ recommended vaccines among medical students and interns in Egypt. Methods A multicenter, cross-sectional study was conducted using a structured, pilot-tested, self-administered questionnaire among Egyptian medical students and interns. We invited 1332 participants to our survey using a systematic random sampling that included participants across nine medical schools in Egypt during the 2021–2022 academic year. Result Out of 1332 participants, 1141 completed our questionnaire with a response rate of 85.7%. Overall, 43% of our participants knew 2–3 HCWs recommended vaccines. Furthermore, 36.7% had received a booster dose of at least one of the HCWs’ recommended vaccines in the last 10 years with only 6.1% having received all recommended vaccines. Hepatitis B vaccine was the most widely known (71%) and received (66.7%). Interns were more likely to know, receive, and recommend HCWs’ recommended vaccines. The majority (> 90%) agreed that vaccination is beneficial and safe, with a median score of eight (interquartile range [IQR]: 2) out of ten concerning vaccine efficacy and eight (IQR: 1) for safety. However, the median score for hesitancy was five (IQR: 5). The most common influential and limiting factors for taking vaccines were scientific facts (60.1%) and fear of vaccine side effects (44.9%), respectively. Conclusion Although medical students in Egypt have good knowledge and attitudes toward vaccinations, there is a gap in their practices. Interventions are needed to improve the uptake of vaccinations among medical students in Egypt.

show abstract

Medical students’ attitudes and perceptions of influenza and SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in Cyprus

Cited by 9 publications

References 22 publications

Influenza Vaccination of Romanian Medical Students and Resident Physicians—A Matter of Accessibility

Influenza Vaccination of Romanian Medical Students and Resident Physicians—A Matter of Accessibility

Influenza Vaccination of Romanian Medical Students during COVID-19 Times: From Knowledge to Behavior

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice of Egyptian Medical Students Towards Healthcare Workers’ Recommended Vaccines: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Survey

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About