title: Ad Hoc Influenza Vaccination During Years of Significant Antigenic Drift in a Tropical City With 2 Seasonal Peaks: A Cross-Sectional Survey Among Health Care Practitioners.
abstract: We evaluated the acceptability of an additional ad hoc influenza vaccination among the health care professionals following seasons with significant antigenic drift.Self-administered, anonymous surveys were performed by hard copy questionnaires in public hospitals, and by an on-line platform available to all healthcare professionals, from April 1st to May 31st, 2015. A total of 1290 healthcare professionals completed the questionnaires, including doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals working in both the public and private systems.Only 31.8% of participating respondents expressed an intention to receive the additional vaccine, despite that the majority of them agreed or strongly agreed that it would bring benefit to the community (88.9%), save lives (86.7%), reduce medical expenses (76.3%), satisfy public expectation (82.8%), and increase awareness of vaccination (86.1%). However, a significant proportion expressed concern that the vaccine could disturb the normal immunization schedule (45.5%); felt uncertain what to do in the next vaccination round (66.0%); perceived that the summer peak might not occur (48.2%); and believed that the summer peak might not be of the same virus (83.5%). Furthermore, 27.8% of all respondents expected that the additional vaccination could weaken the efficacy of previous vaccinations; 51.3% was concerned about side effects; and 61.3% estimated that there would be a low uptake rate. If the supply of vaccine was limited, higher priority groups were considered to include the elderly aged ≥65 years with chronic medical conditions (89.2%), the elderly living in residential care homes (87.4%), and long-stay residents of institutions for the disabled (80.7%). The strongest factors associated with accepting the additional vaccine included immunization with influenza vaccines in the past 3 years, higher perceived risk of contracting influenza, and higher perceived severity of the disease impact.The acceptability to an additional ad hoc influenza vaccination was low among healthcare professionals. This could have a negative impact on such additional vaccination campaigns since healthcare professionals are a key driver for vaccine acceptance. The discordance in perceived risk and acceptance of vaccination regarding self versus public deserves further evaluation.
authors.affiliation: From the School of Public Health and Primary Care (MCSW, SYSW); Department of Paediatrics (EASN, FWTC, TFL); Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care (CL); Department of Medicine and Therapeutics (NL, KWC); Department of Microbiology (MCWC, PKSC); Accident and Emergency Medicine Academic Unit (THR); Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong (THC); Department of Pathology (Microbiology), Queen Elizabeth Hospital (CKCL); and Department of Pathology (Microbiology), Princess Margaret Hospital (BL), Hong Kong SAR.
authors.forename: Martin C S
authors.initials: MCS
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: E Anthony S
authors.initials: EAS
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: Czarina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Nelson
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Martin C W
authors.initials: MCW
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Kin Wing
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Timothy H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Rainer
authors.forename: Frankie W T
authors.initials: FWT
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Samuel Y S
authors.initials: SYS
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Christopher K C
authors.initials: CKC
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Bosco
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: Tak Hong
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.forename: Ting Fan
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Paul K S
authors.initials: PKS
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D006723:Hong Kong; D006779:Hospitals, Public; D006801:Humans; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology / Q000821:virology; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D032541:Mass Vaccination / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012621:Seasons; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014329:Tropical Climate
chemical_list: D007252:Influenza Vaccines