Status of influenza vaccination and recommendation intention to others and related factors in healthcare workers in community health service centers in Fengtai district, Beijing

  Objective  To understand the status of influenza vaccination and recommendation intention to others and related factors in healthcare workers in community health service centers in Fengtai district of Beijing, and provide evidence to increase the vaccination rate of influenza in this population.

  Methods  All the healthcare workers of 23 community health service centers in Fengtai district of Beijing were surveyed by using a self-designed questionnaire and an interviews of 23 heads of public health section of community health service centers were conducted to collect the information about the awareness of influenza vaccine related knowledge, status of influenza vaccination during 2018–2019 and recommendation intention to others in health care workers as well as related policies. Unconditional multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify the related factors for influenza vaccination and recommendation intention to others.

  Results  A total of 1359 valid questionnaires were returned, with an average response rate of 58.48% (1359/2324). The vaccination rate was adjusted to be 32.81%, and the vaccine recommendation rate was 79.76% (1084/1359). Department of public health, knowing the effectiveness of vaccines, knowing the time of vaccination, and knowing that healthcare workers are the key group to recommend vaccination to others in China, and the free supply of the vaccine were factors that are positively related to influenza vaccination. Older age, being doctor or nurse, history of influenza vaccination, awareness of influenza and influenza vaccine related knowledge were positive factors for influenza vaccine recommendations. In the health care workers interviewed, 78.26% (18/23) believed that the low influenza vaccination rate was due to non-free availability of the vaccine. Up to 91.30% (22/23) suggested to strengthen the health education about influenza and influenza vaccine to increase the vaccination rate.

  Conclusion  The healthcare workers in community health service centers in Fengtai had a low rate of influenza vaccination and a high recommendation rate. Providing free vaccines for medical staff and targeted education are the key measures to increase the influenza vaccination rate in this population.