Influenza vaccination among Malaysian healthcare workers: a survey of coverage and attitudes
- Author:
Shuaibu Abdullahi Hudu
;
Nabil Saad Harmal
;
Osman Malina
;
Zamberi Sekawi
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
vaccination;
vaccine uptake;
healthcare workers;
vaccination policy
- From:
The Medical Journal of Malaysia
2016;71(5):231-237
- CountryMalaysia
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Background: Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at increased
risk of getting influenza than the general population,
therefore putting patients at risk of nosocomial infection.
Influenza vaccination coverage among HCWs is low despite
the availability of a safe and effective vaccine. However, the
reasons for such a poor uptake are not well reported in
Malaysia. This study aimed at assessing the rate of influenza
vaccination uptake, knowledge and attitude of healthcare
workers regarding influenza, and employers’ policy on
influenza vaccination.
Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was
conducted in three hospitals in the Klang Valley.
Mann–Whitney test was used to assess possible differences
in knowledge and attitude towards flu vaccination and the χ2
was used for categorical variables. Analyses were
performed with SPSS 22.0.
Results: A total of 690 questionnaires were distributed; 527
were returned (giving a response rate of 76.4%. The vaccine
uptake was 51.4% with the majority (83.5%) of those
believing they were vaccinated to protect themselves.
Higher proportion of vaccinated HCWs (p <0.05) agreeing to
the fact that influenza is a serious threat to their health,
however, 10% were not sure of its safety. Eighty-three
(15.7%) claimed their employers did not have a vaccination
policy, while 43.3% were not sure if their employers have
vaccination policy.
Conclusion: This study has demonstrated more than half of
the healthcare workers were vaccinated, with a significant
proportion of the healthcare workers believed they were
vaccinated to protect themselves, while most of those that
were not vaccinated claimed they are worried about the
safety of the vaccine. Most employers did not have a flu
vaccination policy in place. Hence, the need for government
to enforce such policy and make annual flu vaccination free
and compulsory for all healthcare workers
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- Full text:P020170208333192418177.pdf
