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Monday, March 21, 2005 - 4:05 PM
21

Physician Perspectives Regarding Influenza Disease and Receipt of Influenza Vaccine

Anne E. Cowan1, Sarah J. Clark1, Carla A. Winston2, and Pascale M. Wortley2. (1) Division of General Pediatrics, University of Michigan, 300 North Ingalls, Room 6E06, Campus Box 0456, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, (2) Health Services Research & Evaluation Branch, National Immunization Program, CDC, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS E-52, Atlanta, GA, USA


BACKGROUND:
Despite a longstanding ACIP recommendation that healthcare workers (HCW) be vaccinated against influenza, vaccination rates remain low (<40%).

OBJECTIVE:
To explore physicians' perspectives regarding risk of influenza disease and receipt of influenza vaccine during the 2003-04 influenza season.

METHOD:
Mail survey of national random sample of general medicine internists, family physicians, geriatricians, and pulmonologists (500 each, 2,000 total) from June-September 2004.

RESULT:
Overall response rate was 38% (33%-43% across specialty). Most respondents strongly agreed that influenza and its complications can be serious (81%) and that benefits of vaccinations outweigh its risks (74%), yet only 57% strongly agreed that influenza vaccine is effective in preventing influenza-related hospitalizations in vaccinated persons.
Awareness of ACIP recommendation for HCW was high (84% “very aware”). Vaccination was almost always available on-site (95%) and free of charge (89%). Almost all (87%) reported being vaccinated during the 2003-04 influenza season (84%-91% across specialty), mainly to protect themselves (87%) and their patients (78%) from illness. Of the 13% not vaccinated, 34% were too busy or forgot and 22% had concerns about adverse reactions.
Respondents who were vaccinated were twice as likely as those not vaccinated to strongly agree that HCW are at higher risk of getting influenza than general public and that vaccination of HCW can prevent spread of influenza to patients, and four times as likely to say that HCW have a professional responsibility to be vaccinated.
Other differences in responses by specialty and individual and practice characteristics will be presented.

CONCLUSION:
Awareness of recommendation and access to vaccine were not major barriers to vaccination. Future efforts to increase vaccination rate should address vaccine effectiveness concerns and provide further evidence of risks of influenza to HCW and their patients.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
To gain insight into physicians' viewpoints regarding influenza and influenza vaccine to inform strategies for increasing HCW vaccination rate.

See more of Adult Immunization Track Workshop: Influenza Vaccination of Health Care Providers
See more of The 39th National Immunization Conference (NIC)