Knowledge of vaccination status, vaccination rates and vaccination acceptance: Are there differences among university students of different subjects?

Background: Vaccination coverage among medical students is often insufficient. Regarding vaccination coverage of students of other fields, there are no currently published data for Germany. Based on high international mobility, an insufficient or unknown vaccination status increases the health risk among students. Objective: What is the vaccination status among students of different subjects? Are there group-based differences concerning knowledge of ones own vaccination status? Are there differences concerning attitudes towards vaccination? Material and methods: The survey was conducted at the Technische Universität Dresden during the summer semester 2012 using a semi-standardized questionnaire. Data from 428 students (subjects: medicine, sociology, architecture and physics) were analyzed. Results: Significantly less medical students reported an unknown vaccination status regarding all the nine vaccinations analyzed compared to students of sociology or technical subjects. Significantly more medical students reported complete vaccination status compared to students of other subjects (χ2-test: p ≤ 0.001; Z‑test p ≤ 0.05). Significantly more medical students had the opinion that vaccinations were absolutely necessary compared to students of other subjects (χ2-test: p ≤ 0.001; Z‑test p ≤ 0.05). Conclusion: University students often have insufficient vaccination coverage. Students of subjects other than medicine are often not aware of their own vaccination status. Low-threshold opportunities to check vaccination status and to be vaccinated if necessary should be established, e. g. at university and the workplace. © 2017, Springer-Verlag GmbH Deutschland.