Abstract
In the context of the evolving current COVID-19 pandemic, influenza vaccination among the public and health care workers is of particular importance. There are sparse data on the influenza vaccination coverage among health care workers amid COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to study possible factors associated with influenza vaccination coverage among Greek physicians, dentists, and pharmacists during the flu season 2020–2021. We formulated the hypothesis that COVID-19 pandemic exerted a positive impact on the influenza vaccination coverage of health care workers. An online survey was conducted among the members of the Larissa, (Thessaly, Central Greece) Medical, Dentists, and Pharmacists Associations. The influenza vaccination coverage was 74% (251/340). Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination coverage was the only factor independently associated with the likelihood of influenza vaccination coverage. In conclusion, we report here a considerable improvement of the influenza vaccination coverage among HCWs and especially among physicians. Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination was the only predictor of influenza vaccination coverage. This finding provides public health workers and policymakers with useful policy-relevant evidence in order to maintain and even further improve the gains of increased vaccination coverage achieved during the flu season 2020–2021.
Highlights
According to recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) all countries should immunize their healthcare workers in order to protect the vital health infrastructure, and to control the transmission of influenza to vulnerable, high-risk group of patients [1,2]
In the context of the evolving current COVID-19 pandemic, influenza vaccination among the public and health care workers (HCWs) is of particular importance in order to avoid the overwhelming of the National Health System and drastically reduce respiratory illness related absenteeism among HCWs [1,3]
Using the same dataset, we attempted to study possible factors associated with influenza vaccination coverage among Greek physicians, dentists, and pharmacists during the flu season 2020–2021
Summary
According to recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) all countries should immunize their healthcare workers in order to protect the vital health infrastructure, and to control the transmission of influenza to vulnerable, high-risk group of patients [1,2]. In the context of the evolving current COVID-19 pandemic, influenza vaccination among the public and health care workers (HCWs) is of particular importance in order to avoid the overwhelming of the National Health System and drastically reduce respiratory illness related absenteeism among HCWs [1,3]. Influenza vaccination rates among HCWs varies greatly among different countries [4]. There is a study which reported on prevalence of influenza vaccination coverage among a population of physicians, dentists and pharmacists in Central. Using the same dataset, we attempted to study possible factors associated with influenza vaccination coverage (outcome variable) among Greek physicians, dentists, and pharmacists during the flu season 2020–2021. We formulated the hypothesis that COVID-19 pandemic exerted a positive impact on the influenza vaccination coverage of HCWs
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