title: Should professionals caring for children be vaccinated? Community perspectives on health care and child care worker immunisation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Several immunisations including influenza and pertussis are specifically recommended for healthcare workers (HCW) and childcare workers (CCW). This study aimed to assess community attitudes to HCW and CCW immunisation recommendations for pertussis and seasonal influenza.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted by Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) from April to May 2011. Statistical analyses used data weighted to the South Australian population by probability of selection, age, gender and geographical location using benchmarks derived from the 2009 Census population figures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Almost all respondents supported vaccination of HCWs and CCWs against pertussis and influenza. For pertussis, 95.3% agreed nurses, 94.9% agreed doctors and 94.7% agreed CCWs have an obligation to be vaccinated. For influenza, 91.4% agreed nurses, 90.7% agreed doctors and 89.9% agreed CCWs have an obligation to be vaccinated. We identified higher support for protection against pertussis compared to influenza for all three groups of workers (p<0.001). There were higher concerns if CCWs compared to HCWs were not vaccinated against pertussis (OR=2.78) and influenza (OR=1.99). Young (18-30 years) and older age (60+ years) and lower educational attainment were predictors of support for HCWs and CCWs to be vaccinated against influenza. For pertussis, lower educational attainment was a predictor of support for HCWs immunisation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Community support for CCW and HCW immunisation is strong with CCW immunisation was considered a priority. Pertussis immunisation was considered a higher priority than influenza immunisation for HCWs and CCWs. CCW immunisation should be considered for inclusion in public health immunisation programmes.
authors: Vaccinology and Immunology Research Trials Unit, Women's and Children's Hospital, Women's and Children's Health Network, Adelaide, Australia; School of Medicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.
authors: Jane
authors: J
authors: Tuckerman
authors: Vaccinology and Immunology Research Trials Unit, Women's and Children's Hospital, Women's and Children's Health Network, Adelaide, Australia.
authors: Natalie
authors: N
authors: Thomas
authors: Vaccinology and Immunology Research Trials Unit, Women's and Children's Hospital, Women's and Children's Health Network, Adelaide, Australia; School of Medicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia; School of Population Health, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia; Robinson Research Institute, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia. Electronic address: helen.marshall@adelaide.edu.au.
authors: Helen S
authors: HS
authors: Marshall
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002648:Child; D002654:Child Care; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009726:Nurses; D010820:Physicians; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D013021:South Australia; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014611:Vaccination / Q000523:psychology*; D014917:Whooping Cough / Q000517:prevention & control*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Childcare worker; Health care worker; Immunisation; Influenza; Pertussis