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Multicenter Study
. 2019 Mar 29;60(1):E12-E17.
doi: 10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2019.60.1.1097. eCollection 2019 Mar.

Vaccination coverage in healthcare workers: a multicenter cross-sectional study in Italy

C Genovese  1 , I A M Picerno  1 , G Trimarchi  2 , G Cannavò  3 , G Egitto  3 , B Cosenza  1 , V Merlina  1 , G Icardi  4   5 , D Panatto  5 , D Amicizia  5 , A Orsi  4   5 , C Colosio  6 , C Marsili  6 , C Lari  7 , M A R Palamara  1 , F Vitale  8 , A Casuccio  8 , C Costantino  8 , A Azara  9 , P Castiglia  9 , A Bianco  10 , A Currà  10 , G Gabutti  11 , A Stefanati  11 , F Sandri  11 , C Florescu  11 , M Marranzano  12 , G Giorgianni  12 , V Fiore  12 , A Platania  12 , I Torre  13 , A Cappuccio  13 , A Guillari  13 , L Fabiani  14 , A R Giuliani  14 , A Appetiti  14 , V LA Fauci  1 , A Squeri  1 , R Ragusa  15 , R Squeri  1
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

Vaccination coverage in healthcare workers: a multicenter cross-sectional study in Italy

C Genovese et al. J Prev Med Hyg. .

Abstract

Introduction: In recent years, a phenomenon known as "vaccine hesitancy" has spread throughout the world, even among health workers, determining a reduction in vaccination coverage (VC).A study aimed at evaluating VC among healthcare workers (HCWs) in 10 Italian cities (L'Aquila, Genoa, Milan, Palermo, Sassari, Catanzaro, Ferrara, Catania, Naples, Messina) was performed.

Materials and methods: Annex 3 of the Presidential Decree n. 445 of 28 December 2000 was used to collect information on the vaccination status of HCWs. The mean and standard deviation (SD) were calculated with regard to the quantitative variable (age), while absolute and relative frequencies were obtained for categorical data (sex, professional profile, working sector, vaccination status). The connection between VC and the categorical variables was evaluated by chi-square method (statistical significance at p < 0.05). The statistical analyses were performed by SPSS and Stata software.

Results: A total of 3,454 HCWs participated in the project: 1,236 males and 2,218 females.The sample comprised: physicians (26.9%), trainee physicians (16.1%), nurses (17.2%) and other professional categories (9.8%). Low VC was generally recorded. Higher VC was found with regard to polio, hepatitis B, tetanus and diphtheria, while coverage was very low for measles, mumps, rubella, pertussis, chickenpox and influenza (20-30%).

Conclusions: This study revealed low VC rates among HCWs for all the vaccinations. Measures to increase VC are therefore necessary in order to prevent HCWs from becoming a source of transmission of infections with high morbidity and/or mortality both within hospitals and outside.

Keywords: Healthcare workers; Vaccination coverage; Vaccines.

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References

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