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. 2020 Oct 5;153(6):361-370.
doi: 10.1177/1715163520960744. eCollection 2020 Nov-Dec.

Exploring influenza vaccine hesitancy in community pharmacies: Knowledge, attitudes and practices of community pharmacists in Ontario, Canada

Gokul Raj Pullagura  1 , Richard Violette  1 , Sherilyn K D Houle  1 , Nancy M Waite  1
Affiliations

Exploring influenza vaccine hesitancy in community pharmacies: Knowledge, attitudes and practices of community pharmacists in Ontario, Canada

Gokul Raj Pullagura et al. Can Pharm J (Ott). .

Abstract

Background: Vaccine hesitancy (VH) remains a prime contributor to poor influenza vaccine uptake. This study explores the knowledge, attitudes and practices of community pharmacists toward influenza VH, including their personal influenza immunization attitudes and behaviours.

Methods: A web-based cross-sectional survey questionnaire was administered to community pharmacists practising in Ontario, Canada. A 38-question survey tool explored 5 domains, including pharmacists' personal attitudes and behaviour toward influenza immunization, their self-reported knowledge of influenza, its vaccine and vaccine hesitancy, and their attitudes, practices and experiences with influenza VH at the community pharmacy. The data were analyzed descriptively.

Results: A total of 5530 survey invitations were e-mailed, and 885 responses were collected (response rate 16%). Two-thirds (n = 568, 65.7%) of the respondents reported receiving the influenza vaccine in the preceding season. The most frequent reasons for personal influenza immunization were prevention of disease transmission to patients, friends and family, and contribution to herd immunity. In addition to their confidence and perceived ability to identify and address influenza VH, respondents' self-reported knowledge across a 15-item Likert questionnaire was high. Respondents reported coming across an average of 16 (SD 28) individuals hesitant to receive the influenza vaccine each week. Regular workload (n = 419, 65.6%) and insufficient time (n = 406, 65.3%) were reported as the most limiting barriers to engagement in influenza vaccine conversations.

Conclusion: Facilitating optimal practice scope for pharmacists, and capitalizing on the convenience and accessibility of the community pharmacy setting, presents a promising means to address influenza VH. However, barriers to pharmacist-initiated engagement on influenza vaccine must be explored and addressed. Can Pharm J (Ott) 2020;153:xx-xx.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest:S. K. D. Houle and N. M. Waite have received educational grants from Merck and Sanofi Pasteur, and Dr. Houle received support for a graduate student trainee from Valneva, Canada.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Patients’ reported reasons for delay or refusal of influenza vaccination Cronbach’s alpha (19 items) = 0.872.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Effectiveness of current practices in addressing VH Cronbach’s alpha (13 items) = 0.903.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Barriers to optimal immunization service delivery reported by respondents authorized to administer injections (n = 753) Cronbach’s alpha (8 items) = 0.780.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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