Immune status and risk perception of acquisition of vaccine preventable diseases among health care workers

Abstract

Risk perception of acquiring vaccine preventable diseases and the immune status of 187 health care workers (HCW) from a high-complexity university hospital in São Paulo, Brazil, were assessed. The vaccine preventable diseases more cited as at risk for acquisition were hepatitis B (94.1%), influenza (92.5%), meningococcal disease (90.3%), tuberculosis (85.0%), and varicella (72.7%). Previous disease or vaccination reported by HCW were hepatitis B (82.4%), tetanus (87.7%), diphtheria (81.8%), measles (86.6%), mumps (85.6%), rubella (85.0%), varicella (82.9%), and influenza (35.8%). One third of HCW reported previous percutaneous or mucosal occupational accidents, and 83.6% had notified the event to the Hospital Infection Control Committee. Despite good risk perception of acquiring vaccine preventable diseases, only 35.8% of individuals were fully immunized. Efforts should be made to increase influenza vaccination coverage among all professionals and to reduce the number of nonreported accidents, especially among physicians.