tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Can Commun Dis Rep
. 2026 Mar 31;52(3):80-87.
doi: 10.14745/ccdr.v52i03a03. eCollection 2026 Mar.
Promoting influenza vaccination among health professionals in Canada: Results of an online survey on Facebook
Mylène Tantchou Dipankui[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Kieran O'Doherty[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Lucie Marisa Bucci[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Benjamin Giguère[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Background: Vaccination rates of healthcare workers in Canada against influenza are below the national target of 80%. The objective of this study was to identify the preferred promotional formats and types of information that healthcare professionals would consider when deciding whether to get immunized against influenza. The goals of this survey were to 1) inform the design of a social marketing campaign to help healthcare professionals make informed decisions about influenza vaccination, and 2) inform future education and promotional work by vaccination stakeholders.
Methods: A bilingual survey was implemented online using Facebook ads to recruit healthcare professionals across Canada. The survey consisted of 15 mixed multiple-choice and open-ended questions. Eligibility requirements included being a practising Canadian healthcare professional, such as a medical doctor, nurse, pharmacist, nurse practitioner, midwife, or dentist.
Results: A total of 265 healthcare professionals completed the study, with a majority (51.3%) being nurses and practising in Ontario (32.1%). Infographics were viewed as the promotional format most likely to influence their decision-making (33.6%). Healthcare professionals relied on news from various media outlets and peer-reviewed journals (15.8%) to make their decisions. Finally, respondents indicated that influenza vaccine effectiveness was the most relevant information with respect to their decision-making (80.8%).
Conclusion: Infographics may be an important method for promoting influenza vaccination among healthcare professionals. These visual representations should focus on up-to-date information about influenza vaccine effectiveness to respond to the information needs of healthcare professionals. The next steps will be to design a marketing campaign focused on vaccine effectiveness, using infographics as a promotional format.
Keywords: Facebook; health professionals; influenza; misinformation; vaccination.
. 2026 Mar 31;52(3):80-87.
doi: 10.14745/ccdr.v52i03a03. eCollection 2026 Mar.
Promoting influenza vaccination among health professionals in Canada: Results of an online survey on Facebook
Mylène Tantchou Dipankui[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Kieran O'Doherty[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Lucie Marisa Bucci[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Benjamin Giguère[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 42021838
- PMCID: PMC13098624
- DOI: 10.14745/ccdr.v52i03a03
Background: Vaccination rates of healthcare workers in Canada against influenza are below the national target of 80%. The objective of this study was to identify the preferred promotional formats and types of information that healthcare professionals would consider when deciding whether to get immunized against influenza. The goals of this survey were to 1) inform the design of a social marketing campaign to help healthcare professionals make informed decisions about influenza vaccination, and 2) inform future education and promotional work by vaccination stakeholders.
Methods: A bilingual survey was implemented online using Facebook ads to recruit healthcare professionals across Canada. The survey consisted of 15 mixed multiple-choice and open-ended questions. Eligibility requirements included being a practising Canadian healthcare professional, such as a medical doctor, nurse, pharmacist, nurse practitioner, midwife, or dentist.
Results: A total of 265 healthcare professionals completed the study, with a majority (51.3%) being nurses and practising in Ontario (32.1%). Infographics were viewed as the promotional format most likely to influence their decision-making (33.6%). Healthcare professionals relied on news from various media outlets and peer-reviewed journals (15.8%) to make their decisions. Finally, respondents indicated that influenza vaccine effectiveness was the most relevant information with respect to their decision-making (80.8%).
Conclusion: Infographics may be an important method for promoting influenza vaccination among healthcare professionals. These visual representations should focus on up-to-date information about influenza vaccine effectiveness to respond to the information needs of healthcare professionals. The next steps will be to design a marketing campaign focused on vaccine effectiveness, using infographics as a promotional format.
Keywords: Facebook; health professionals; influenza; misinformation; vaccination.