Attitudes towards vaccination against seasonal influenza of health-care workers in primary health-care settings in Greece

Abstract

Vaccination of health-care workers (HCWs) against seasonal influenza has been consistently recommended worldwide in order to prevent nosocomial transmission and ensure delivery of health-care services during outbreaks. We describe the effects of a nationwide campaign to promote influenza vaccination among HCWs working in primary health-care centers in Greece. During 2008–2009 the mean vaccination rate among HCWs in primary health-care centers was 22.8% (range: 0–100%), with a considerable variability among Health Districts (range: 12.66–54.68%). Logistic regression showed that history of previous influenza vaccination, influenza vaccination the previous season, being a physician and a larger number of employees were associated with increased vaccination rates. Main reason for vaccination was self-protection (75.90%), while main reasons for refusing vaccination were belief that they are not at risk for contracting influenza (44.5%), doubts about vaccine effectiveness (20.79%), and fear of vaccine adverse effects (20.33%).