Influenza vaccine uptake and attitudes of healthcare workers in Ireland

[tetano]

Occup Med (Lond). 2019 Nov 5. pii: kqz124. doi: 10.1093/occmed/kqz124. [Epub ahead of print] Influenza vaccine uptake and attitudes of healthcare workers in Ireland.

Hogan V¹, Lenehan M², Hogan M³, Natin DP⁴.
Author information

1 School of Health Sciences, NUI Galway, Galway, Ireland. 2 Department of Occupational Medicine, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin 7, Ireland. 3 School of Psychology, NUI Galway, Galway, Ireland. 4 Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin 7, Ireland.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Influenza vaccination uptake by Irish healthcare workers remains sub-optimal despite local initiatives to increase it.
AIMS:

To investigate hospital workers' attitudes to influenza vaccination and how this influenced their decisions about vaccination.
METHODS:

A questionnaire survey of Irish hospital workers, measuring uptake of and attitudes to influenza vaccination.
RESULTS:

There were 747 responders, of whom 361 (48%) reported having received influenza vaccination. Attitudes predicting vaccination uptake included a belief that vaccination would protect family members (P < 0.0005, CI 1.191-1.739), a perception of susceptibility to 'flu (P < 0.0005, CI 1.182-1.685), a belief that all healthcare workers should be vaccinated (P < 0.005, CI 1.153-1.783), perceived ease of getting 'flu vaccination at work (P < 0.0005, CI 1.851-2.842) and encouragement by line managers (P < 0.05, CI 1.018-1.400). Attitudes negatively associated with vaccination uptake included fear of needles (P < 0.05, CI 0.663-0.985) and a belief that vaccination would cause illness (P < 0.0005, CI 0.436-0.647). Medical staff were significantly more likely to be vaccinated. Healthcare students were least likely to be vaccinated (P < 0.0005).
CONCLUSION:

Addressing specific barriers to influenza vaccination in healthcare workers may improve uptake.
? The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.


KEYWORDS:

Attitudes; Health Belief Model; healthcare workers; influenza vaccination

PMID: 31686104 DOI: 10.1093/occmed/kqz124