Patients’ attitudes toward seasonal influenza immunization

Abstract

Introduction. Immunization is an important measure in the prevention of diseases that can seriously endanger health of the population. The aim of the study was to determine the attitudes of the adult population toward seasonal influenza immunization. Material and Methods. This cross-sectional prospective study including 160 adult subjects of both sexes was conducted from November 15, 2019 to December 15, 2019 at the General Medicine Department of the ?Liman? Health Center, Novi Sad, Serbia. The respondents filled out a questionnaire, specifically designed for this purpose. The collected data were used to analyze the influence of gender, age and employment status on personal attitudes toward seasonal influenza immunization. Results. The study included 160 examinees, 74 (46.2%) men and 86 (53.8%) women, average age of 63 years. There were 88 (55%) employed and 72 (45%) unemployed participants. Of 160 participants, 113 (72.4%) had a positive attitude toward vaccination, 20 (12.8%) had a negative attitude, while 23 (14.7%) respondents were undecided. No statistically significant difference was established between the sexes in attitudes toward immunization. Vaccination coverage was higher in unemployed compared to employed subjects (75% vs. 59.1%; p < .05). Unemployed respondents were more regularly vaccinated than the employed examinees (66.1% vs. 46.7%; p < .05). Conclusion. Higher vaccination coverage rates for planned immunizations against seasonal influenza can be achieved through better promotion strategies and health education of the population.