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AIMS Public Health

2023, Volume 10, Issue 4: 952-963. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2023061
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Research article

Vaccination coverage of primary care providers against seasonal influenza, tetanus, pneumococcal pneumonia and herpes zoster: A cross-sectional study in Greece

  • 1.
    Laboratory of Integrated Health Care, Department of Nursing, University of Peloponnese, Tripoli, Greece
  • 2.
    Department of Sports Organization and Management, University of Peloponnese, Sparti, Greece
  • 3.
    Department of Physical Education & Sport Science, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
  • 4.
    Department of Midwifery, University of West Attica, Athens, Greece
  • 5.
    Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
  • Received: 10 June 2023 Revised: 17 October 2023 Accepted: 14 November 2023 Published: 24 November 2023

  • Introduction 

    Primary care providers' (PCPs) compliance to self-immunization is important for their protection and the protection of their colleagues and patients and has been associated with the coverage of the general public. In this study, we aim to investigate the vaccination coverage of PCPs.

    Methods 

    A questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among physicians, nurses and pharmacists employed in public or private primary care settings in Greece. Demographic and occupational characteristics as well as vaccination coverage data for influenza, tetanus, pneumococcal pneumonia and herpes zoster were collected. Statistical significance was set at 0.05.

    Results 

    In total, 748 (61.7% response rate) PCPs participated. Vaccination rates were 66.4% (496/747) for influenza (2019/2020 flu season), 62.9% (469/746) for tetanus (10-year Td or Tdap booster dose), 70% (14/20) for pneumococcal pneumonia (≥ 1 dose of PPSV23 or PCV13) and 12.3% (10/81) for herpes zoster. Multiple logistic regression revealed that nurses had significantly lower probability of being vaccinated against influenza [odds ratio (OR) = 0.25; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.14–0.45] and pharmacists had significantly lower probability of being vaccinated against both influenza (OR = 0.44; 95% CI = 0.31–0.62) and influenza & tetanus (OR = 0.52; 95% CI = 0.37–0.73) compared to physicians. Older age (>40 years) was an independent risk factor for not receiving a tetanus vaccine (40–49 vs. 19–39; OR = 0.42; 95% CI = 0.28–0.63, over 50 years old vs. 19–39; OR = 0.54; 95% CI = 0.36–0.79).

    Conclusions 

    The results revealed suboptimal vaccination rates among health providers who are in the frontline of adult immunization. Individualized and targeted measures to improve their vaccination coverage and indirectly the vaccination coverage of their patients, are therefore required.

    Citation: Panagiota Kalatzi, Antonios K. Travlos, Nickos Geladas, Maria Iliadou, Chara Tzavara, Costas Chryssanthopoulos, Alexandros Mihopoulos, Styliani Tziaferi. Vaccination coverage of primary care providers against seasonal influenza, tetanus, pneumococcal pneumonia and herpes zoster: A cross-sectional study in Greece[J]. AIMS Public Health, 2023, 10(4): 952-963. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2023061

    Related Papers:

  • Introduction

    Primary care providers' (PCPs) compliance to self-immunization is important for their protection and the protection of their colleagues and patients and has been associated with the coverage of the general public. In this study, we aim to investigate the vaccination coverage of PCPs.

     Methods

    A questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among physicians, nurses and pharmacists employed in public or private primary care settings in Greece. Demographic and occupational characteristics as well as vaccination coverage data for influenza, tetanus, pneumococcal pneumonia and herpes zoster were collected. Statistical significance was set at 0.05.

     Results

    In total, 748 (61.7% response rate) PCPs participated. Vaccination rates were 66.4% (496/747) for influenza (2019/2020 flu season), 62.9% (469/746) for tetanus (10-year Td or Tdap booster dose), 70% (14/20) for pneumococcal pneumonia (≥ 1 dose of PPSV23 or PCV13) and 12.3% (10/81) for herpes zoster. Multiple logistic regression revealed that nurses had significantly lower probability of being vaccinated against influenza [odds ratio (OR) = 0.25; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.14–0.45] and pharmacists had significantly lower probability of being vaccinated against both influenza (OR = 0.44; 95% CI = 0.31–0.62) and influenza & tetanus (OR = 0.52; 95% CI = 0.37–0.73) compared to physicians. Older age (>40 years) was an independent risk factor for not receiving a tetanus vaccine (40–49 vs. 19–39; OR = 0.42; 95% CI = 0.28–0.63, over 50 years old vs. 19–39; OR = 0.54; 95% CI = 0.36–0.79).

     Conclusions

    The results revealed suboptimal vaccination rates among health providers who are in the frontline of adult immunization. Individualized and targeted measures to improve their vaccination coverage and indirectly the vaccination coverage of their patients, are therefore required.

    Abbreviations

    CI

    Confidence Interval

         COVID-19

    Coronavirus Disease 2019

         EU

    European Union

         HCPs

    Health Care Professionals

         HepA

    Hepatitis A

         HepB

    Hepatitis B

         Hib

    Haemophilus influenzae type b

         HPV

    Human Papillomavirus

         HZV

    Herpes Zoster

         MMR

    Measles, Mumps and Rubella

         NAIS

    National Adult Immunization Schedule

         NUTS1

    Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics

         OR

    Odds Ratio

         PCPs

    Primary Care Providers

         PCV13

    Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine

         PPSV23

    Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine

         Td

    Tetanus and Diphtheria

         Tdap

    Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis.
    加载中

    Acknowledgments


    The authors would like to thank all the participants who completed the survey.

    Conflict of interest


    The authors declare no conflicts of interest in this paper.

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