title: Reasons for low influenza vaccination coverage: cross-sectional survey in Poland.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the reasons for low influenza vaccination coverage in Poland, including knowledge of influenza and attitudes toward influenza vaccination.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional, anonymous, self-administered survey in primary care patients in Lodzkie voivodship (central Poland). The study participants were adults who visited their primary care physicians for various reasons from January 1 to April 30, 2007.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six hundred and forty participants completed the survey. In 12 months before the study, 20.8% participants had received influenza vaccination. The most common reasons listed by those who had not been vaccinated were good health (27.6%), lack of trust in vaccination effectiveness (16.8%), and the cost of vaccination (9.7%). The most common source of information about influenza vaccination were primary care physicians (46.6%). Despite reasonably good knowledge of influenza, as many as approximately 20% of participants could not point out any differences between influenza and other viral respiratory tract infections.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The main reasons for low influenza vaccination coverage in Poland were patients' misconceptions and the cost of vaccination. Therefore, free-of-charge vaccination and more effective informational campaigns are needed, with special focus on high-risk groups.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Family Medicine, Medical University of Lodz, 60 Narutowicza Str., Lodz, Poland. pkardas@csk.am.lodz.pl
authors.forename: Przemyslaw
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kardas
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zasowska
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dec
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stachurska
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / Q000276:immunology*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011044:Poland; D055815:Young Adult