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Correlation Between Healthcare Workers' Knowledge of Influenza Vaccine and Vaccine Receipt

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Richard A. Martinello ,
Laura Jones  and
Jeffrey E. Topal
Richard A. Martinello*
Affiliation:
Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut Quality Improvement and Support Services, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut
Laura Jones
Affiliation:
Quality Improvement and Support Services, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut
Jeffrey E. Topal
Affiliation:
Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut Quality Improvement and Support Services, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut
*
VA Connecticut, 950 Campbell Ave. 111-1, West Haven, CT 06516
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Abstract

Objective:

Influenza vaccine receipt by healthcare workers (HCWs) is important because HCWs are at risk for occupational exposure to influenza and may act as vectors in the nosocomial transmission of influenza. HCWs were surveyed to determine whether belief in commonly held influenza vaccine misconceptions was associated with influenza vaccine acceptance.

Design:

Cross-sectional study.

Setting:

A large urban teaching hospital.

Method:

A self-administered survey was used to assess nursing and physician staff influenza vaccine knowledge, current vaccination status, and potential reasons for vaccine declination.

Results:

Two hundred twelve of 215 surveys were completed. The overall influenza vaccination rate was 73%. Physician staff were significantly more likely to have been vaccinated compared with nursing staff (82% vs 62%, respectively; P = .0009). HCWs answering the 5 influenza vaccine basic knowledge questions correctly were significantly more likely to have been vaccinated than those responding incorrectly to any question (84% vs 64%, respectively; P = .002). This association was present in the nursing group where 80% of those answering the knowledge questions correctly were vaccinated, but only 49% of those answering incorrectly were vaccinated (P = .000005). However, in the physician group, there was no significant difference in the influenza vaccination rates between those answering correctly and those answering incorrectly (P = .459).

Conclusion:

Belief in commonly held influenza vaccine misconceptions was significantly associated with influenza vaccine declination among nursing staff and may act as a barrier to greater rates of influenza vaccination. Reasons for influenza vaccine nonreceipt may differ between nursing and physician staff.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 24 , Issue 11 , November 2003 , pp. 845 - 847
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2003

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