Influenza Vaccination in Coronavirus Times: Intention to Be Vaccinated by Primary Care Professionals in Central Catalonia (VAGCOVID)

Abstract BackgroundInfluenza vaccination is the main measure of prevention against the epidemic flu, which annually produces a significant increase in the pressure on healthcare systems, in addition to influencing the absenteeism of health workers. Although it is recommended that health professionals be vaccinated, their vaccination coverage is low. The lack of knowledge about the evolution of influenza in the context of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic led to the continued recommendation of influenza vaccination to people at risk and to professionals. The aim of the study is to determine the intention to vaccinate against seasonal flu of health professionals in the 2020-21 campaign in the context of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, and to analyse the factors that influence it.MethodsCross-sectional study through a structured online survey aimed at Primary Care professionals in the region of central Catalonia.ResultsA total of 610 participants responded to the survey, 65.7% of whom intended to be vaccinated against the flu in this campaign and 11.1% did not yet know or did not answer. The intention to be vaccinated against flu is associated with the professional category, the years of professional practice, the fact of making face-to-face guards, and the perception of the risk of suffering from flu. It is also related to a history of influenza vaccination in the previous year and to having been vaccinated on another occasion. The profile of professionals who intend to be vaccinated against flu includes professionals with a history of vaccination, who were on duty and perceived that their staff were at risk of becoming ill with flu.ConclusionsDuring the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, many professionals show a clear intention to get vaccinated against the flu, but there are still some who doubt it. In order to improve influenza vaccination coverage among health professionals, it is necessary to design strategies aimed at professionals who are hesitant or reluctant to vaccination.

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Determinants of Influenza Vaccination Coverage among Greek Health Care Workers amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Infectious Disease Reports ◽

10.3390/idr13030071 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 757-762

Author(s):

Georgios Rachiotis ◽

Dimitrios Papagiannis ◽

Foteini Malli ◽

Ioanna V. Papathanasiou ◽

Ourania Kotsiou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Influenza Vaccination ◽

Vaccination Coverage ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Online Survey ◽

Health Workers ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Relevant Evidence ◽

Care Workers ◽

Public Health Workers

In the context of the evolving current COVID-19 pandemic, influenza vaccination among the public and health care workers is of particular importance. There are sparse data on the influenza vaccination coverage among health care workers amid COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to study possible factors associated with influenza vaccination coverage among Greek physicians, dentists, and pharmacists during the flu season 2020–2021. We formulated the hypothesis that COVID-19 pandemic exerted a positive impact on the influenza vaccination coverage of health care workers. An online survey was conducted among the members of the Larissa, (Thessaly, Central Greece) Medical, Dentists, and Pharmacists Associations. The influenza vaccination coverage was 74% (251/340). Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination coverage was the only factor independently associated with the likelihood of influenza vaccination coverage. In conclusion, we report here a considerable improvement of the influenza vaccination coverage among HCWs and especially among physicians. Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination was the only predictor of influenza vaccination coverage. This finding provides public health workers and policymakers with useful policy-relevant evidence in order to maintain and even further improve the gains of increased vaccination coverage achieved during the flu season 2020–2021.

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Reported COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage and Associated Factors among Members of Athens Medical Association: Results from a Cross-Sectional Study

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9101134 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (10) ◽

pp. 1134

Author(s):

Georgios Marinos ◽

Dimitris Lamprinos ◽

Panagiotis Georgakopoulos ◽

Georgios Patoulis ◽

Georgia Vogiatzi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Medical Association ◽

Vaccination Coverage ◽

Online Survey ◽

Health Workers ◽

High Reliability ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Vaccination Uptake ◽

Health Authorities ◽

Public Health Authorities

There are limited data on the prevalence and determinants of COVID-19 vaccination coverage among physicians. A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based, online study was conducted among the members of the Athens Medical Association (I.S.A.) over the period 25 February to 13 March 2021. All members of I.S.A. were invited to participate in the anonymous online survey. A structured, anonymous questionnaire was used. Overall, 1993 physicians participated in the survey. The reported vaccination coverage was 85.3%. The main reasons of no vaccination were pending vaccination appointment followed by safety concerns. Participants being informed about the COVID-19 vaccines by social media resulted in lower COVID-19 vaccination coverage than health workers being informed by other sources. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that no fear over COVID-19 vaccination-related side effects, history of influenza vaccination for flu season 2020–2021, and the perception that the information on COVID-19 vaccination from the national public health authorities is reliable, were independent factors of reported COVID-19 vaccination coverage. Our results demonstrate a considerable improvement of the COVID-19 vaccination uptake among Greek physicians. The finding that participants reported high reliability of the information related to COVID-19 vaccination provided by the Greek public health authorities is an opportunity which should be broadly exploited by policymakers in order to combat vaccination hesitancy, and further improve COVID-19 vaccination uptake and coverage among physicians/HCWs, and the general population.

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Differences in Influenza Vaccination Coverage between Adult Immigrants and Italian Citizens at Risk for Influenza-Related Complications: A Cross-Sectional Study

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0166517 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 11 (11) ◽

pp. e0166517 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Massimo Fabiani ◽

Flavia Riccardo ◽

Anteo Di Napoli ◽

Lidia Gargiulo ◽

Silvia Declich ◽

...

Keyword(s):

At Risk ◽

Influenza Vaccination ◽

Vaccination Coverage ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Adult Immigrants

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Risk Factors for Anxiety in Medical Health Workers during Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Medan, Indonesia

Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences ◽

10.3889/oamjms.2021.5903 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (T3) ◽

pp. 1-5

Author(s):

Anastasia Venny Fransisca Sipayung ◽

Elmeida Effendy ◽

Mustafa Mahmud Amin

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Online Survey ◽

Health Workers ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

History Of ◽

Medical Health ◽

Almost All ◽

The Impact ◽

Anxiety Subscale

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a virus outbreak that is infecting many people almost all over the world, including Indonesia. The impact of this pandemic also affects medical health workers who are in charge of treating COVID-19 patients where they are at high risk of being infected. This causes psychological disorders such as anxiety and many factors that can become a risk for anxiety. AIM: The aim of the study was to investigate risk factors for anxiety in medical health workers who treat COVID-19 patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted in Haji Adam Malik Hospital and its satellites in Medan, North Sumatera, cross-sectional through online survey using hospital anxiety and depression scale, anxiety subscale, from May 2020 to July 2020, 129 participants. RESULTS: Four risk factors have a relationship to the occurrence of anxiety, such as gender, marital status, history of organic diseases, and duration of work caring for COVID-19 patients. CONCLUSIONS: By knowing the risk factors that can cause anxiety in medical health workers, it is hoped that both the hospital management and individual medical health workers can pay more attention to and anticipate so that medical health workers can feel more secure in carrying out their duties treating for COVID-19 patients.

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Identifikasi Faktor Ibu Dengan Perdarahan Post Partum

Oksitosin : Jurnal Ilmiah Kebidanan ◽

10.35316/oksitosin.v6i2.489 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 119-126

Author(s):

Frisca Dewi Yunadi ◽

Rully Andhika ◽

Rochany Septiyaningsing

Keyword(s):

At Risk ◽

Postpartum Hemorrhage ◽

Quantitative Methods ◽

Health Workers ◽

Post Partum ◽

Univariate Analysis ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Post Partum Hemorrhage ◽

Secondary Bleeding ◽

History Of

Postpartum hemorrhage is bleeding that occurs immediately after labor exceeds 500 cc which is divided into primary bleeding and secondary bleeding. Untreated postpartum bleeding can lead to shock and can cause death. Cases of post partum hemorrhage in Cilacap Hospital are very high. In 2017 there were 73 cases of post partum hemorrhage and in 2018 there were 72 cases. The purpose of this study was to identify maternal factors with the incidence of post partum hemorrhage in the Cilacap Hospital in the period 2017-2018. The design of this study was to use a descriptive survey research design with a cross sectional time approach with quantitative methods. The sample in this study used a total sampling of 143 samples. Data analysis using univariate analysis. The results of the study showed that the majority of mothers who experienced post partum hemorrhage at the age of not at risk (77.6%), riskless parity (61.5%), distance at risk of birth (69.9%), no history of SC (96, 5%), anemia (72.2%), and no history of previous postpartum hemorrhage (95.1%). Suggestions for health workers more often provide education to Fertile Age Couples related to the assessment program so that the pregnancy is planned and there are no bleeding problems. Keywords: post partum hemorrhage, age, parity, distance of labor, anemia. ABSTRAK Perdarahan postpartum adalah kehilangan darah melebihi 500cc yang terjadi segera setelah persalinan yang dibagi menjadi perdarahan primer dan perdarahan sekunder. Akibat dari perdarahan post partum salah satunya adalah syok dan dapat menyebabkan kematian. Angka kejadian perdarahan postpartum di RSUD Cilacap sangat tinggi. Pada tahun 2017 ada sebanyak 73 kasus perdarahan post partum dan tahun 2018 ada 72 kasus. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengidentifikasi faktor ibu yang mengalami perdarahan post partum di RSUD Cilacap periode 2017-2018. Desain penelitian ini adalah menggunakan rancangan penelitian survey deskriptif dengan pendekatan waktu cross sectional dengan metode kuantitatif. Sampel dalam penelitian ini sebanyak 143 sampel. Analisa data menggunakan Analisa univariat. Hasil penelitan memperlihatkan paling banyak ibu yang mengalami perdarahan post partum pada usia tidak beresiko (77,6%), paritas tidak beresiko (61,5%), jarak persalinan beresiko (69,9%), tidak ada riwayat SC (96,5%), anemia (72,2%), dan tidak ada riwayat perdarahan postpartum sebelumnya (95,1%). Saran untuk tenaga kesehatan adalah lebih sering meberikan edukasi pada Pasangan Usia Subur berkaitan dengan program kehamilan agar kehamilan terencana dan tidak ada resiko perdarahan. Kata Kunci : Perdarahan Post Partum, Umur, Paritas, Jarak Persalinan, Anemia

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Influenza Vaccination During the Coronavirus Epidemic: Intention to Vaccinate among the at-risk Population in the Central Catalonia Health Region (VAGCOVID).

10.21203/rs.3.rs-145771/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Anna Bonet-Esteve ◽

Raquel Muñoz-Miralles ◽

Carla Gonzalez-Claramunt ◽

Ana M Rufas ◽

Xavier Pelegrin Cruz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

At Risk ◽

Influenza Vaccination ◽

Vaccination Coverage ◽

Perceived Risk ◽

Seasonal Influenza ◽

Preventive Measure ◽

Public Health Issue ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Risk Population ◽

The Individual

Abstract BackgroundInfluenza is a major public health issue, with the primary preventive measure being an annual influenza vaccination. Nevertheless, vaccination coverage among the at-risk population is low. Our understanding of the behaviour of the influenza virus during the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic is limited, meaning the influenza vaccination is still recommended for individuals in high-risk groups. The aim of the study is to determine the intention to vaccinate against seasonal influenza among the at-risk population in the 2020-21 campaign during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and to analyse the factors which influence said intention.MethodsCross-sectional telephone survey of adults (aged over 18) with risk factors in central Catalonia where the need for the Seasonal Influenza Vaccine (SIV) was recommended.ResultsA total of 434 participants responded to the survey, 43.3% of whom intended to have the vaccination against influenza this year and 15.9% did not know or did not express an opinion. The intention to get vaccinated against influenza is associated with having dependents, the individual’s perception of the risk of them catching influenza and the perceived risk for dependents. It is also associated with age, whether the individual had received an influenza vaccination the year before and whether they had been vaccinated on another occasion. The best predictors of the intention to vaccinate are the individual’s perception of the risk of catching influenza and whether the individual had been vaccinated in the previous year.ConclusionsVaccination intention can be a good predictor of behaviour in relation to vaccination. During the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic many individuals are undecided. In order to improve vaccination coverage in people at risk, it is necessary to promote educational actions, especially in those people who express doubts.

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A Call for a Reform of the Influenza Immunization Program in Mexico: Epidemiologic and Economic Evidence for Decision Making

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9030286 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 286

Author(s):

Roberto Tapia-Conyer ◽

Miguel Betancourt-Cravioto ◽

Alejandra Montoya ◽

Jorge Abelardo Falcón-Lezama ◽

Myrna María Alfaro-Cortes ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cost Effectiveness ◽

Influenza Vaccination ◽

Vaccination Coverage ◽

Decision Analytic Model ◽

Limited Information ◽

Vaccination Policy ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Influenza Case ◽

One Year ◽

Effectiveness Studies

Limited information is available to determine the effectiveness of Mexico’s national influenza vaccination guidelines and inform policy updates. We aim to propose reforms to current influenza vaccination policies based on our analysis of cost-effectiveness studies. This cross-sectional epidemiological study used influenza case, death, discharge and hospitalization data from several influenza seasons and applied a one-year decision-analytic model to assess cost-effectiveness. The primary health outcome was influenza cases avoided; secondary health outcomes were influenza-related events associated with case reduction. By increasing vaccination coverage to 75% in the population aged 12–49 years with risk factors (diabetes, high blood pressure, morbid obesity, chronic renal failure, asthma, pregnancy), and expanding universal vaccination coverage to school-aged children (5–11 years) and adults aged 50–59 years, 7142–671,461 influenza cases; 1–15 deaths; 7615–262,812 healthcare visits; 2886–154,143 emergency room admissions and 2891–97,637 hospitalizations could be prevented (ranges correspond to separate age and risk factor groups), with a net annual savings of 3.90 to 111.99 million USD. Such changes to the current vaccination policy could potentially result in significant economic and health benefits. These data could be used to inform the revision of a vaccination policy in Mexico with substantial social value.

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Competency of health workers in detecting and managing gestational hypertension, pre-eclampsia, severe pre-eclampsia and eclampsia during antenatal check-ups in primary care health facilities in Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-046638 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. e046638

Author(s):

Sk Masum Billah ◽

Abdullah Nurus Salam Khan ◽

S M Rokonuzzaman ◽

Nafisa Lira Huq ◽

Marufa Aziz Khan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Primary Care ◽

Health Workers ◽

Gestational Hypertension ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

P Value ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Hypertensive Disorders Of Pregnancy ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Hypertensive Disorders ◽

Care Facilities

Study objectiveTo evaluate the competency of trained health workers in detecting and managing hypertensive disorders of pregnancy during routine antenatal check-ups (ANCs) at primary care facilities in Bangladesh.Study design and settingsCross-sectional study; conducted in 26 primary care facilities.Outcome measuresAccurate diagnosis of the hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.MethodIn total 1560 ANC consultations provided by primary health workers, known as Family Welfare Visitors (FWVs), were observed using a structured checklist between October 2017 and February 2018. All consultations were reassessed by study physicians for validation.ResultOf the ‘true’ cases of gestational hypertension (n=32), pre-eclampsia (n=29) and severe pre-eclampsia (n=16), only 3%, 7% and 25%, respectively, were correctly diagnosed by FWVs. Per cent agreement for the diagnosed cases of any hypertensive disorders of pregnancy was 9% and kappa statistics was 0.50 (p value 0.0125). For identification of any hypertensive disorders by FWVs, sensitivity and positive predictive values were 14% and 50%, respectively. There was a moderate positive correlation between the blood pressure measurements taken by FWVs and study physicians. Only 27% of those who had ‘some protein’ in urine were correctly identified by FWVs. Women diagnosed with any of the hypertensive disorders of pregnancy by FWVs were more likely to be counselled on at least one danger sign of pre-eclampsia (severe headache, blurring of vision and upper abdominal pain) than those without any such diagnosis (41% vs 19%, p value 0.008). All four cases of severe pre-eclampsia diagnosed by FWVs were given a loading dose of intramuscular magnesium sulphate and three among them were referred to a higher facility.ConclusionThe FWVs should be appropriately trained on risk assessment of pregnant women with particular emphasis on accurately assessing the diagnostic criteria of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and its management.

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Older and Wiser? The Need to Reexamine the Impact of Health Professionals Age and Experience on Competency-Based Practices

SAGE Open Nursing ◽

10.1177/23779608211029067 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

pp. 237796082110290

Author(s):

Jing Xu ◽

Kristen Hicks-Roof ◽

Chloe E. Bailey ◽

Hanadi Y. Hamadi

Keyword(s):

Health Professionals ◽

Online Survey ◽

Evidence Based Practice ◽

Core Competencies ◽

Healthcare Services ◽

Interdisciplinary Teams ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Health Providers ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Impact

Introduction Delivery of healthcare services makes up a complex system and it requires providers to be competent and to be able to integrate each of the institute of medicine’s (IOM) 5 core competencies into practice. However, healthcare providers are challenged with the task to be able to understand and apply the IOM core competencies into practice. Objective The purpose of the study was to examine the factors that influence health professional’s likelihood of accomplishing the IOM core competencies. Methods A cross-sectional study design was used to administer a validated online survey to health providers. This survey was distributed to physicians, nursing professionals, specialists, and allied healthcare professionals. The final sample included 3,940 participants who completed the survey. Results The study findings show that younger health professionals more consistently practice daily competencies than their older counterparts, especially in the use of evidence-based practice, informatics, and working in interdisciplinary teams. Less experienced health professionals more consistently applied quality improvement methods but less consistently used evidence-based practice compared to their more experienced counterparts. Conclusion There is a need to understand how health professionals’ age and experience impact their engagement with IOM’s core competencies. This study highlights the need for educational resources on the competencies to be tailored to health providers’ age and experience.

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COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance in Azuay Province, Ecuador: A Cross-Sectional Online Survey

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9060678 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 678

Author(s):

Julio Jaramillo-Monge ◽

Michael Obimpeh ◽

Bernardo Vega ◽

David Acurio ◽

Annelies Boven ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rural Areas ◽

Online Survey ◽

Vaccination Campaign ◽

Postgraduate Education ◽

Effective Vaccine ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Lower Education Level ◽

Vaccination Acceptance ◽

History Of ◽

High Level

We investigated the COVID-19 vaccination acceptance level in Azuay province, Ecuador through an online survey from 12th to 26th February (before the start of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in Ecuador). Overall, 1219 respondents participated in the survey. The mean age was 32 ± 13 years; 693 participants (57%) were female. In total, 1109 (91%) of the participants indicated they were willing to be vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine, if the vaccine is at least 95% effective; 835 (68.5%) if it is 90% effective and 493 (40.5%) if it is 70% effective; 676 (55.5%) participants indicated they feared side effects and 237 (19.4%) thought the vaccine was not effective. Older age, having had a postgraduate education, a history of a negative COVID-19 test, a high level of worry of contracting COVID-19, believing that COVID-19 infection can be prevented with a vaccine and understanding there is currently an effective vaccine against COVID-19 were associated with higher vaccination acceptance. A vaccination education campaign will be needed to increase the knowledge of Ecuadorians about the COVID-19 vaccine and to increase their trust in the vaccine. People with a lower education level and living in rural areas may need to be targeted during such a campaign.

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