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Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2018 Nov 5. doi: 10.1080/21645515.2018.1543523. [Epub ahead of print]
Knowledge, attitudes, behaviours, and beliefs of healthcare provider students regarding mandatory influenza vaccination.
Ghandora H1, Halperin DM2,3, Isenor JE2,4, Taylor BA1,2,5, Fullsack P2, Di Castri AM2, Halperin SA1,2,6.
Author information
Abstract
Influenza infection poses the same risk to healthcare students as practicing clinicians. While there is substantial dialog about the benefits, risks, and ethics of mandatory influenza immunization policies in Canada, there has been little engagement of healthcare students. To explore the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours of healthcare students, we administered a web-based survey to students at Dalhousie University. Influenza vaccination status varied by program type, with 86.3% of medical students (n = 124) and 52.4% of nursing students (n = 96) self-reporting receipt of the influenza vaccine both in the previous and current seasons; pharmacy students' coverage fell between the two. Pharmacy students had higher mean knowledge scores (10.0 out of 13 questions) than medical (9.26) and nursing (8.88) students. Between 56.1 and 64.5% of students across disciplines were in support of a mandatory masking or vaccination policy, and between 72.6 and 82.3% of students would comply if such a policy were in place. A sense of duty to be immunized, desire to be taught more about influenza and influenza vaccine, belief that the hospital has a right to know vaccination status, support for declination policy, and willingness to accept consequences of noncompliance were all predictors of student support of mandatory policies. Medical and pharmacy students tended to hold more pro-influenza vaccination attitudes, had higher knowledge scores, and better vaccine coverage than nursing students. Based on the overall vaccination behavior, knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes of students surveyed in this study, mandatory influenza immunization policies are generally supported by the next generation of practitioners.
KEYWORDS:
Influenza vaccines; health personnel; mandatory vaccination; students
PMID: 30395762 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2018.1543523
Knowledge, attitudes, behaviours, and beliefs of healthcare provider students regarding mandatory influenza vaccination.
Ghandora H1, Halperin DM2,3, Isenor JE2,4, Taylor BA1,2,5, Fullsack P2, Di Castri AM2, Halperin SA1,2,6.
Author information
Abstract
Influenza infection poses the same risk to healthcare students as practicing clinicians. While there is substantial dialog about the benefits, risks, and ethics of mandatory influenza immunization policies in Canada, there has been little engagement of healthcare students. To explore the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours of healthcare students, we administered a web-based survey to students at Dalhousie University. Influenza vaccination status varied by program type, with 86.3% of medical students (n = 124) and 52.4% of nursing students (n = 96) self-reporting receipt of the influenza vaccine both in the previous and current seasons; pharmacy students' coverage fell between the two. Pharmacy students had higher mean knowledge scores (10.0 out of 13 questions) than medical (9.26) and nursing (8.88) students. Between 56.1 and 64.5% of students across disciplines were in support of a mandatory masking or vaccination policy, and between 72.6 and 82.3% of students would comply if such a policy were in place. A sense of duty to be immunized, desire to be taught more about influenza and influenza vaccine, belief that the hospital has a right to know vaccination status, support for declination policy, and willingness to accept consequences of noncompliance were all predictors of student support of mandatory policies. Medical and pharmacy students tended to hold more pro-influenza vaccination attitudes, had higher knowledge scores, and better vaccine coverage than nursing students. Based on the overall vaccination behavior, knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes of students surveyed in this study, mandatory influenza immunization policies are generally supported by the next generation of practitioners.
KEYWORDS:
Influenza vaccines; health personnel; mandatory vaccination; students
PMID: 30395762 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2018.1543523