Influenza vaccination status among health care professionals for prevention of nosocomial infection to hospitalized elderly patients

• Published in: Serodiagnosis and immunotherapy in infectious disease Vol. 4; no. 4; pp. 309 - 315
• Main Authors: Ganguly, R., Russell, D.W., Yangco, B.V., Chmel, H., Cameron, D.J., Sinnott, J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier B.V 01.08.1990; Butterworth-Heinemann
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; compliance; elderly; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; health care providers; immunization; influenza; Microbiology; vaccine; Vaccines, antisera, therapeutical immunoglobulins and monoclonal antibodies; Virology; influenza; vaccine; health care providers; elderly; immunization; compliance; Human; High risk; Immunization; Questionnaire; Health staff; Vaccination; Orthomyxoviridae; Epidemiology; Influenzavirus; Infection; Virus; Prevention; Viral disease; Age
• ISSN: 0888-0786
• DOI: 10.1016/0888-0786(90)90019-K

Health care professionals (HCP) in close contact with hospitalized high-risk patients, including the elderly, are recommended for influenza immunization, but their acceptance of the vaccine remains alarmingly low. A cohort of 62 HCP were randomly chosen and surveyed by a questionnaire at the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital to determine their influenza vaccination status and some of the reasons affecting their compliance. Subjects studied consisted of 18 physicians, 17 nurses, 15 clinical laboratory personnel and 12 other support personnel. The overall vaccination rate during the last year for this study population was 19·4% (12 subjects) while 37·1% (23 subjects) had received the vaccine more than 1–5 years previously and 43·5% (27 subjects) never received influenza vaccine. Among the latter group, never receiving the vaccine, 48% (13 subjects) were physicians, 33% (nine subjects) nurses, 7% (two subjects) clinical laboratory and 11% (three subjects) other support personnel. A total of 63% of the HCP surveyed (36 subjects) indicated that they had close contact with patients (higher percentage among physicians and nurses). There was no difference in vaccination rates between the HCP with close patient contacts (19·4%) and those without (20%). The most frequently cited reason for non-immunization was that the HCP did not want the vaccine. This lack of motivation was due to a multitude of factors: time constraints; fear of vaccine side effects; lack of assurance about the vaccine efficacy; misconceptions on the availability of the vaccine, and perceived low risk of contacting influenza in medical settings. Yet, 74% of the HCP indicated that they have suffered from influenza like illness in the past. Overall, fear of side effects and needle prick played a major role for non-compliance with influenza vaccine recommendation in 28% of the 50 non-compliant HCP. When the physicians and nurses were asked if they recommended influenza vaccination for their high risk patients, more physicians (14 out of 18 physicians) said they did (78%) than did the nurses (11 out of 17 nurses, 65%). These data indicate that the HCP intellectually accept the influenza vaccine, but they do not practice what they teach.