Influenza vaccine: Immunization rates, knowledge and attitudes of healthcare workers in Jordan

Objectives: To determine the rate of infleunza vaccination among Jordanian healthcare workers (HCWs) and to study the factors affecting these rates, including their knowledge and attitudes toward influenza infection and immunization Design: Cross-sectional study Setting: Jordan University Hospital, a university-affiliated academic center Subjects: A convenience sample of 744 HCWs recruited after the 2015/2016 influenza season. They included 322 physicians, 156 other medical staff (nurses, pharmacists, technicians, etc.), and 266 non-medical hospital staff. Intervention: A personal interview of HCWs by trained research assistants, using a validated questionnaire Main outcome measures: Demographic characteristics, vaccination rates, knowledge and attitudes of participants, and perceived barriers to vaccination were analyzed. Results: The overall one-year immunization rate was 30.8% (95% CI: 27.5%-34.2%) with no significant differences across different job categories. Vaccinated participants achieved a higher mean knowledge score (+/- SD) compared to their unvaccinated counterparts (5.86 +/- 1.15 vs 5.32 +/- 1.38 out of 7; p <0.001). The majority of HCWs knew about the importance of receiving the influenza vaccine to protect themselves (89%) and their patients (83%). They cited their job as HCWs and direct contact with severely ill patients as the main reasons for getting vaccinated. The most common barrier to getting vaccinated was having a "strong immune system". Conclusions: This is the first study in Jordan addressing influenza vaccine among HCWs. It is found that despite having sufficient knowledge on influenza infection and vaccination, and the availability of free vaccine, influenza vaccine coverage remains low among HCWs due to inconsistencies between knowledge and practice.