Reasons for and barriers to influenza vaccination among healthcare workers in an Australian emergency department

Objective To examine attitudes and beliefs to influenza vaccination among healthcare workers in an Australian emergency department and to assess the vaccine uptake for 2007 influenza season and intentions for the 2008 season. Design Cross-sectional study using a self administered questionnaire. Setting Emergency department of an urban teaching hospital in Australia. Subjects Participants included all ED staff both clinical and non-clinical/administrative. Main outcome measure Self reported reasons for and barriers against vaccination; proportion of staff vaccinated in 2007 and willingness to get vaccinated in 2008 in staff categories were asked. Results Response rate was 90% ( 63 of 70). The overall vaccination rate reported in 2007 was 58.7% and the reported rate of those willing to be vaccinated in 2008 was 71.4 % (p=0.057). Vaccine was freely provided to all staff by the institution and 88.9% stated they had no problems in accessing vaccine. Performance of the vaccination in relation to knowledge and attitudes with particular interest in reasons for having or not having the vaccine was investigated. Conclusion Despite campaigns by the infectious disease unit and an outbreak of influenza A in Australia with confirmed cases by laboratory tests being in the department, misconceptions about the vaccine were common and only 56.4% of nurses and 58.7% of all staff including nurses were vaccinated in 2007 with an expected uptake of 71.4% in 2008. Some staffs attitude towards the vaccine remained unchanged; therefore combined strategies in campaigns may be needed to increase the vaccine uptake.