Abstract
Background: During the recent H1N1 pandemic all front-line healthcare staff in the UK were offered vaccination as part of a nationwide programme.
Aims: To assess factors influencing uptake of the H1N1 vaccine in a large Children's Hospital.
Setting: Acute medical wards, Accident and Emergency Department (A&E), Neonatal (NICU), and Paediatric (PICU) Intensive Care Units of the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Glasgow.
Methods: Anonymised, cross-sectional, self-administered questionnaire of all frontline staff in designated clinical areas. Survey conducted between January and March 2010, after commencement of the staff vaccination programme.
Results: There were 260 respondents (>40% of frontline staff). 129 (50%) were vaccinated (70%). 67% of medical staff, 40% of nursing staff, and 100% of administrative staff were vaccinated. Uptake was highest in A&E (62%) and lowest in NICU (39%). Commonest reasons for accepting vaccination were responsibility to protect patients and perceived individual high risk of contact with H1N1. After vaccination 70% experienced a localized reaction, and 29% a systemic flu-like illness.
37% of non-vaccinated staff stated willingness to accept the vaccine. Commonest reasons for non-vaccination were uncertainty about safety of the vaccine (47%), concern about side-effects (33%), inability to attend for vaccination (22%) and lack of vaccine availability (12%).
Conclusions: Despite a high-profile nationwide programme, only 50% of frontline healthcare staff were vaccinated against H1N1. Future vaccination programmes should address staff education, convenience and vaccine availability, in all clinical areas, to improve uptake.
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Chen, S., Patel, N. 177 Factors Influencing the Rate of H1N1 Vaccine Uptake by Frontline Healthcare Staff in a Uk Children's Hospital. Pediatr Res 68 (Suppl 1), 92–93 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-201011001-00177
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-201011001-00177