title: Acceptance of hepatitis B vaccine by hospital personnel.
abstract: Personnel at high risk of acquiring hepatitis B in two university-affiliated teaching hospitals were offered immunization against this disease. Of the 1,193 employees, 454 (38%) requested immunization. Individuals who declined or deferred immunization were sent questionnaires requesting the reasons for their decisions. Responses to the questionnaire were received from 487 of 674 personnel (72%). Most respondents (greater than 90%) indicated that they: 1) were aware of being at risk of acquiring hepatitis B, and 2) recognized the potential danger of the disease. A majority of respondents (56%) indicated that they had decided not to be immunized because they wanted to wait until more was known about the vaccine. Concern about specific side effects (eg, Guillain-Barré syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) was cited much less often as a reason for declining immunization. Nearly one-fifth of questionnaire respondents either did not know the date of their last tetanus-diphtheria immunization or had not received a booster within the past decade.
authors.forename: K B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Crossley
authors.forename: D N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Gerding
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Petzel
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D006801:Humans; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010564:Personnel, Hospital; D012306:Risk; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines