Study in Montenegro reveals low level of seasonal flu vaccination among health care workers
During a workshop on “Finding solutions to increase health care workers’ participation in seasonal influenza vaccination" on 24 April 2014 in Podgorica, Montenegro, WHO experts presented results of a survey of health professionals related to immunization against seasonal influenza. The meeting was held during European Immunization Week 2014 to stress the importance of immunization throughout life from childhood to adulthood, and to remind everyone, including health care workers, policy-makers and parents, about the benefits of immunization.
The pilot quantitative and qualitative survey investigated the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of over 200 health workers at the Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Podgorica participated. The findings will serve as a basis for designing measures to promote immunization of health workers against seasonal flu.
Survey results
The survey shed light on the current level of protection against vaccine-preventable diseases. It showed that an unsatisfactory number of health care workers are vaccinated against hepatitis A, hepatitis B or tetanus, and only 1 in 5 were vaccinated against influenza during 2012/2013. Director of the PHC, Dr Nebojša Kavarić said: “Although health care workers are exposed daily to direct contact with patients, they need further education on the need for immunization against seasonal influenza.”
Next steps
Head of the WHO Country Office in Montenegro, Ms Mina Brajović, said that increasing the immunization rate among health care workers requires social-behavioural changes and systemic interventions: “Immunization of health care workers against seasonal flu contributes directly to improvement of patient safety, and is imperative in a modern health care system. Health care professionals are a priority group due to the nature of their work – they are at risk from infection with seasonal influenza, but on the other hand, they can play an active role in transmitting influenza to their patients whose immune systems are already weak.”
She concluded that immunization of health care workers is an important segment of a comprehensive programme of infection prevention and control in vulnerable populations in sensitive environments, such as hospitals, health care centres and institutions for long-term care.
