Vaccination coverage rates and attitudes towards mandatory vaccinations among healthcare personnel in tertiary-care hospitals in Greece

ABSTRACT

Objectives

Our aim was to estimate vaccination and susceptibility rates against vaccine-preventable diseases among healthcare personnel (HCP) in eight hospitals.

Methods

Cross-sectional survey.

Results

A total of 1284 HCP participated (physicians: 31.3%, nursing personnel: 36.6%, paramedical personnel: 11.1%, administrative personnel: 13.2%, supportive personnel: 7.3%). Vaccination rates were 32.9% against measles and mumps, 38.1% against rubella, 5.7% against varicella, 9.2% against hepatitis A, 65.8% against hepatitis B, 31.8% against tetanus-diphtheria, 7.1% against pertussis, 60.2% against influenza, and 80.1% against COVID-19. Susceptibility rates were as follows: 27.8% for measles, 39.6% for mumps, 33.4% for rubella, 22.2% for varicella, 86.3% for hepatitis A, 34.2% for hepatitis B, 68.2% for tetanus-diphtheria, and 92.9% for pertussis. Older HCP had higher susceptibility rates against mumps, rubella, varicella, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, tetanus-diphtheria, and pertussis (p-values <0.001 for all). Mandatory vaccinations were supported by 81.85% of HCP.

Conclusions

Although most HCPs supported mandatory vaccinations, significant vaccination gaps, and susceptibility rates were recorded. The proportion of susceptible HCP to measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella has increased in the past decade, mostly because of reduction in acquired cases of natural illness. Vaccination programs for HCP should be developed. A national registry to follow HCP’s vaccination rates is urgently needed.

KEYWORDS:

• Vaccination
• immunization
• healthcare personnel
• healthcare workers
• vaccination coverage
• immunity
• susceptibility
• hospitals
• Greece

Acknowledgments

We are thankful to Infection Control Committees of participating hospitals. The opinions presented in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their institutions.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Author contributions

Conceptualization and methodology: H.C.M., M.T., and N.V.S.; formal analysis: H.C.M. and M.T.; data collection and interpretation of results: H.C.M., I.D., M.N.G., D.M.K., E.B., E.P.; C.D., E.P., A.P., N.M., S.K., E.S., M.P., A.S., M.C., G.A., A.L., D.H., P.G., G.S., and N.V.S.; writing – original draft preparation: H.C.M.; review for intellectual content and editing: H.C.M., I.D., M.N.G., M.T., D.M.K., E.B., E.P.; C.D., E.P., A.P., N.M., S.K., E.S., M.P., A.S., M.C., G.A., A.L., D.H., P.G., G.S., and N.V.S.; supervision: H.C.M. All authors agree to take responsibility and be accountable for the contents of the article and to share responsibility to resolve any questions raised about the accuracy and integrity of the published work.