Attitude of Healthcare Personnel regarding Influenza Immunization

Abstract

To survey the attitudes of healthcare personnel regarding influenza immunization. DESIGN: A questionnaire was given to all hospital employees. SETTING: A 650-bed community teaching hospital. INTERVENTION: Employees were offered an in-service regarding influenza immunization in October 1991. Influenza immunization was given free of charge by Employee Health Services from October to December 1991. One thousand fiftysix employees (30.2%) received influenza vaccines. Survey forms were distributed with paychecks to all employees during the second half of January 1992. Completed survey forms were returned during the next 2 weeks. RESULTS: One thousand two hundred three of the 3,501 (34.3%) questionnaires were returned. Some of the survey forms were not completely filled out. A total of 28.1% of male employees (202/717) and 35.4% of female employees (987/2783) (p<.01) responded. Mean years employed were 11.35 ± 7.57 for respondents and 9.30 ± 7.39 for all employees (p<.OOl). Four hundred sixty-one respondents (38.4%) received the influenza vaccine and 734 (6 1.4%) did not. Among the respondents, employees who were older or working full time were more likely to receive the vaccine. Proportionally, more respondents who received the vaccine attended the in-service, although only 8.7% of those immunized attributed their receiving influenza vaccine to the in-service. More physician respondents were vaccinated. Tbe respondents who received influenza vaccine were more likely to have received the vaccine during the past 2 years (p<.001). The major reasons given for not receiving the vaccine were "bad side effects" and "do not like shots." The major side effect of influenza immunization was a "sore arm." Multivariate analysis suggested that the in-service was not associated with obtaining the vaccine. CONCLUSIONS: The in-service regarding influenza immunization seemed to have a negligible influence. Most employees who received the vaccine had previous influenza immunization. There were no major side effects of influenza immunization. "Bad side effects" and "do not like shots" were major reasons given for not receiving influenza vaccine.

Improving Influenza Immunization Rates Among Healthcare Workers Caring for High-Risk Pediatric Patients

“…The major reasons listed for vaccine refusal by each group of HCWs in a highrisk unit differed; however, reasons for vaccine refusal in this study mirrored those in previous reports, including inconvenience, perceived vaccine side effects, a belief that vaccination may cause influenza, and a fear of needles. [24][25][26][27] Intranasal influenza immunization has been suggested as an attractive alternative for HCWs with a fear of needles. November 2004…”

Predisposing, Reinforcing, and Enabling Factors Influencing Influenza Vaccination Acceptance Among Healthcare Workers

“…In Spain, employers are encouraged to offer influenza vaccination to healthcare workers (HCWs) yearly. However, influenza vaccination acceptance among HCWs generally remains low, 1,2 despite a variety of interventions 1,3,4 and intensive promotional campaigns. 5 Improved identification of the determinants of vaccination acceptance should facilitate the development and evaluation of vaccine delivery programs created to increase the prevalence of influenza vaccination among HCWs.…”

An update on the prevention of influenza in children and adolescents

“…This is probably due to several immunisation barriers which have been identified among physicians and patients [5,6,23,58,59]. Most importantly, misconceptions on the true burden of disease and its complications and lack of awareness of the benefits of influenza prevention can be blamed for this unfortunate state of affairs [23,40,55,62].…”