Authors:
Address: Department for Interventions in Health-Care Facilities, Hellenic Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 3-5 Agrafon Street, Athens, Greece. helen-maltezou@ath.forthnet.gr
Journal:

Publication:

abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To assess the Attitudes about mandatory vaccination and vaccination coverage against vaccine-preventable diseases among health-care workers (HCWs) working in tertiary-care hospitals in Greece.

METHODS:

A questionnaire was distributed to HCWs working in four tertiary-care hospitals.

RESULTS:

In total, 505 HCWs participated in the survey. Self-reported completed vaccination rates were 18.8% against measles, 18.8% against mumps, 22.2% against rubella, 1.9% against varicella, 3.6% against hepatitis A, 56.5% against hepatitis B, and 35.7% against tetanus-diphtheria. Younger age groups had higher completed vaccination rates against measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, and hepatitis B compared with older HCWs (p-value < 0.001). Self-reported susceptibility rates were 12.7% for measles, 18.9% for mumps, 15.8% for rubella, 15.2% for varicella, 89.9% for hepatitis A, 34.2% for hepatitis B, and 64.3% for tetanus-diphtheria. Sixty three percent of 451 HCWs who answered this question supported mandatory vaccinations for HCWs, with significant differences per target disease. Physicians more frequently supported a mandatory vaccination policy compared to nurses and other professions (72.1% versus 61.9% and 54.2%, respectively; p-value = 0.028).

CONCLUSIONS:

Approximately two thirds of HCWs working in tertiary-care hospitals in Greece support mandatory vaccinations for HCWs, however suboptimal vaccination rates against vaccine-preventable diseases were recorded.

Copyright © 2011 The British Infection Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Related Articles
Attitudes Regarding Occupational Vaccines and Vaccination Coverage against Vaccine-Preventable Diseases among Health-Care Workers Working in Pediatric Departments in Greece.
Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2012
Attitudes Regarding Occupational Vaccines and Vaccination Coverage against Vaccine-Preventable Diseases among Health-Care Workers Working in Pediatric Departments in Greece.
Maltezou HC, Lourida A, Katragkou A, Katerelos P, Wicker S, Syrogiannopoulos GA, Roilides E, Theodoridou M. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2012 Feb 10; . Epub 2012 Feb 10.
Seroprevalence survey of varicella, measles, rubella, and hepatitis A and B viruses in a multinational healthcare workforce in Saudi Arabia.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol....
Seroprevalence survey of varicella, measles, rubella, and hepatitis A and B viruses in a multinational healthcare workforce in Saudi Arabia.
Almuneef MA, Memish ZA, Balkhy HH, Otaibi B, Helmi M. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2006 Nov; 27(11):1178-83. Epub 2006 Oct 17.
Seroprevalence survey of measles, rubella, varicella, and mumps antibodies in health care workers and evaluation of a vaccination program in a tertiary care hospital in Japan.
Am J Infect Control. 2003
Seroprevalence survey of measles, rubella, varicella, and mumps antibodies in health care workers and evaluation of a vaccination program in a tertiary care hospital in Japan.
Asari S, Deguchi M, Tahara K, Taniike M, Toyokawa M, Nishi I, Watanabe M, Iwatani Y, Makimoto K. Am J Infect Control. 2003 May; 31(3):157-62.
Review A new combination vaccine for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella.
Drugs Today (Barc). 2006
Review A new combination vaccine for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella.
Zareba G. Drugs Today (Barc). 2006 May; 42(5):321-9.
Review Vaccination in healthcare workers: an Italian perspective.
Expert Rev Vaccines. 2010
Review Vaccination in healthcare workers: an Italian perspective.
Prato R, Tafuri S, Fortunato F, Martinelli D. Expert Rev Vaccines. 2010 Mar; 9(3):277-83.

To top • Home

---

Show map | Diseases | Vaccination | Chronic disease | Medicine | Pregnancy | Heat & Sunburn | Cold | Security | Useful tips | Faq | News

TraveldoctorOnline 2001 • Disclaimer • webmaster