Evaluation of influenza vaccine effectiveness and effective factors of accepting vaccine injection among health care workers in Alzahra Hospital, Isfahan, Iran, 2018

Abstract

Background: Regarding the increasing importance of influenza, especially in those at risk, this study aimed to explore the effectiveness and the effective factors of influenza vaccination acceptance among the staff of Alzahra hospital, Isfahan, Iran Methods: This cohort study was performed in Alzahra hospital for 9 months from September 2018 to May 2019. The staffs of different occupations who received influenza vaccination considered as treatment (vaccinated) group, and equal numbers of staffs who did not receive vaccination were selected as the control (unvaccinated) group. In both groups, a questionnaire of knowledge and attitude to vaccination and a checklist of demographic and occupational variables, vaccination acceptance or rejection factors, and influenza infection rate were completed in the study. Findings: During the study, one case in exposed group, and 3 cases in control group got the influenza, and there was no significant difference between two groups (P = 0.130). The relative risk of influenza was 0.33. There was a significant difference between the two groups based on vaccination in previous years (P = 0.001). Moreover, the knowledge and attitude in the vaccinated group was higher than the non-vaccinated group (P <0.050). Conclusion: Increasing awareness and attitude to influenza and its vaccination, as well as the availability of vaccination at the right time, can be effective in health care workers' tendency for influenza vaccine. © 2020 Isfahan University of Medical Sciences(IUMS). All rights reserved.