title: Acceptance of hepatitis B vaccine by medical and surgical residents.
abstract: To assess factors influencing acceptance of hepatitis B vaccine, 547 medical residents and 230 surgical residents were surveyed. The vaccination rate among 315 (58%) medical residents who responded was 46%; for 124 (54%) surgical residents who responded it was 76%. Most medical (93%) and surgical (94%) residents who were vaccinated believed they were at risk of hepatitis B virus infection. Among unvaccinated medical residents, 71% indicated concern about vaccine-related side effects, including potential but unknown reactions (58%) and possible transmission of AIDS (37%) and hepatitis (16%). Unvaccinated surgical residents were also concerned about side effects (64%). Stepwise discriminant function analysis revealed that medical residents were vaccinated if they were concerned about risk of exposure to hepatitis B virus and the chronic complications of infection and if they had received hepatitis B immune globulin and influenza vaccine. Surgical residents were vaccinated if they believed hepatitis B vaccine was efficacious, but were not vaccinated if they believed hepatitis B virus infection was not serious.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville.
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Harward
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Kaiser
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Fedson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D013502:General Surgery / Q000193:education*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000193:education*; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008297:Male; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014611:Vaccination; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines
chemical_list: D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines