Analysis of Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviours of Health Care Workers towards Vaccine-Preventable Diseases and Recommended Vaccinations: An Observational Study in a Teaching Hospital

Background: Recommended vaccinations are the cheapest and most effective measure to reduce the risk of transmission and related complications, especially in high-risk healthcare settings. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of HCWs in relation to national recommendations. Methods: A transversal study was conducted through administration of a questionnaire by personal interview. The following care units were involved: Paediatric, Neonatal, Cardiac Surgery and General Intensive Care Units and Infectious Diseases Unit. Results: The study sample comprised 308 HCWs. Half the sample were aware of the vaccination recommendations, with occupation and age found to be predictive factors (OR = 9.38, 95%CI: 2.07-42.41; OR = 0.36, 95%CI: 0.22-0.60). A higher percentage defined the diseases as a risk for their patients' health, although this perception was lower in the over-40 age group. In several cases, there were statistically significant differences between the care units (p < 0.001). Around three-quarters of the sample agreed that vaccination should be mandatory; willingness to undergo a future booster vaccination was statistically correlated with the variables of age and care unit (p < 0.001, p = 0.03). Conclusion: The protection of health in the workplace can be achieved through some strategic actions, such as the implementation of educational strategies, and protocols for the monitoring of immunocompetence and the improvement of vaccination.

Automated summary

This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of healthcare workers (HCWs) in relation to national vaccination recommendations. The study found that half of the HCWs were aware of the vaccination recommendations, with occupation and age being predictive factors. Although a majority of the sample perceived the diseases as a risk to their patients' health, this perception was lower in the over-40 age group. There were statistically significant differences between the care units. Approximately three-quarters of the sample agreed that vaccination should be mandatory, and willingness to undergo a future booster vaccination was correlated with age and care unit. The protection of health in the workplace can be achieved through strategic actions such as educational strategies, monitoring of immunocompetence, and improvement of vaccination.