Misconceptions about influenza vaccine persist, even among HCWs

Misconceptions about influenza communicability and vaccine efficacy persist, even among health care workers who worked at hospitals with high vaccination rates, data from a study presented this week at the 47th Annual Meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America indicated.

Mary Anne Jackson, MD, chief of infectious diseases at Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics in Kansas City, Mo., shared the data during a press conference yesterday. She said while vaccine receipt overall is very high in their hospital — at about 85% — misconceptions exist, including the belief that it is possible to get influenza from the vaccine.

Researchers at the hospital conducted a random survey among 5,000 employees, including physicians, nurses and other health care professionals. Sixty two physicians, 177 nurses and 346 other health care workers were interviewed. About 170 study participants had children aged younger than 10 years.

Data indicated that about 85% of the physicians who had been vaccinated against influenza also had their child vaccinated against the disease, compared with only about 65% of the nurses and other health care professionals interviewed.

Nurses and other health care workers reported higher rates of concern regarding the influenza vaccine, compared with physicians. Physicians were more likely to support the use of influenza mandates for health care workers and school attendance compared with other health care workers, Jackson said.

Understanding the reasons why people are concerned about influenza vaccine is the first step to boosting immunization rates, according to Jackson.

“There are many myths and misconceptions about the influenza vaccine even among this highly immunized population,” Jackson said. “We learned that even those who believe that flu vaccination is important may not be translating that message to their children.”

Jackson believes that universal immunization among health care workers is unlikely without a mandatory policy, but she said such policies would likely face significant hurdles. – by Colleen Zacharyczuk

For more information:

Myers A. Health care worker knowledge and attitudes regarding influenza immunization and childhood vaccination. Presented at: Infectious Diseases Society of America. Oct. 29-Nov. 1, 2009. Philadelphia.