title: Knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of university students, faculty, and staff during a meningococcal serogroup B outbreak vaccination program.
abstract: During an outbreak of invasive meningococcal B disease on a university campus, we explored the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of members of the university community in relation to the disease, the vaccine, and the vaccination program.
  
  
  
  All students, faculty and staff were invited by email to participate in a 71-item online survey, which was administered after completion of the mass clinics for the first and second doses of a meningococcal B vaccination program.
  
  
  
  A total of 404 individuals responded to the survey; 75.7% were students. Knowledge about meningococcal disease and vaccine was generally high; more than 70% correct responses were received on each knowledge question except for one question about the different meningococcal serogroups. Gender (female) and higher knowledge scores were significantly associated with either being immunized or intending to be immunized (p<0.05). Positive attitudes about immunization, concern about meningococccal infection, a sense of community responsibility, and trust in public health advice also correlated with being vaccinated or intending to be vaccinated (p<0.05).
  
  
  
  A successful mass vaccination program in a Nova Scotia university was associated with high levels of knowledge, positive attitudes toward vaccination, and positive attitudes toward public health recommendations.
authors.affiliation: Canadian Center for Vaccinology, Dalhousie University, IWK Health Centre, and Nova Scotia Health Authority, Nova Scotia, Canada; School of Nursing, St. Francis Xavier University, Nova Scotia, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada. Electronic address: dmacdoug@stfx.ca.
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: MacDougall
authors.affiliation: Canadian Center for Vaccinology, Dalhousie University, IWK Health Centre, and Nova Scotia Health Authority, Nova Scotia, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada; Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Langley
authors.affiliation: Canadian Center for Vaccinology, Dalhousie University, IWK Health Centre, and Nova Scotia Health Authority, Nova Scotia, Canada.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Canadian Center for Vaccinology, Dalhousie University, IWK Health Centre, and Nova Scotia Health Authority, Nova Scotia, Canada.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: Canadian Center for Vaccinology, Dalhousie University, IWK Health Centre, and Nova Scotia Health Authority, Nova Scotia, Canada.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: MacKinnon-Cameron
authors.affiliation: Canadian Center for Vaccinology, Dalhousie University, IWK Health Centre, and Nova Scotia Health Authority, Nova Scotia, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada; Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada.
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Top
authors.affiliation: Canadian Center for Vaccinology, Dalhousie University, IWK Health Centre, and Nova Scotia Health Authority, Nova Scotia, Canada; Department of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: McNeil
authors.affiliation: Canadian Center for Vaccinology, Dalhousie University, IWK Health Centre, and Nova Scotia Health Authority, Nova Scotia, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada; School of Nursing, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada.
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Halperin
authors.affiliation: Acadia University, Nova Scotia, Canada.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Swain
authors.affiliation: Vaccine Evaluation Center, British Columbia Children's Hospital, University of British Columbia, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bettinger
authors.affiliation: Institut national de santé publique du Québec, Université Laval, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dubé
authors.affiliation: Institut national de santé publique du Québec, Université Laval, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Serres
authors.affiliation: Canadian Center for Vaccinology, Dalhousie University, IWK Health Centre, and Nova Scotia Health Authority, Nova Scotia, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada; Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Halperin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005178:Faculty; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D032541:Mass Vaccination; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009674:Nova Scotia / Q000453:epidemiology; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines
keywords: Knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs; Meningococcal B vaccine; Outbreak; Survey