title: Knowledge and attitudes among patients with asthma and parents and physicians towards influenza vaccination.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Influenza is an infectious disease, dangerous for all people, especially for some risk groups such as patients with chronic diseases and health care workers. But most of the people under the risk of influenza, including health care workers are not immunised because of misinformation. In this study, we aimed to determine the knowledge, beliefs and attitudes of patients with allergic rhinitis and asthma and parents of such children related to influenza vaccination. Attitudes and beliefs of physicians treating these patients about influenza vaccination were also investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two different questionnaires consisting of various items related to influenza vaccine were distributed to physicians and patients and parents of children with asthma and allergic disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The physicians group consisted of 189 physicians from various branches. About one third of physicians from various branches reported that they did not believe the vaccine's effectiveness. Most of the participating physicians did not immunise themselves with influenza vaccination despite the fact that any patient of theirs had died due to influenza infection. Although nearly half of the 183 patients had been vaccinated with influenza vaccine, only 27% of adults and 11.7% of children had been vaccinated annually.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Asthmatic patients are not immunised regularly with influenza vaccine due to misperceptions about vaccine effectiveness and fear of adverse effects. Another important reason of this is that most the physicians caring for these patients neither immunise themselves nor recommend the vaccine to their patients.
authors: Sisli Etfal Education and Research Hospital, Department of Pediatric Immunology and Allergy, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Kaya
authors: Bakırkoy Dr. Sadi Konuk Education and Research Hospital, Department of Pediatric Immunology and Allergy, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Altınel
authors: Division of Immunology and Allergy, Department of Chest Diseases, School of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Karakaya
authors: International Hospital, Yesilkoy, Istanbul, Turkey. Electronic address: feyzulkaya@gmail.com.
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Çetinkaya
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014611:Vaccination / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D007252:Influenza Vaccines
keywords: Allergic rhinitis; Allergy; Asthma; Influenza; Vaccination