Knowledge, Attitute And Practice Survey Regarding Pertussis Vaccination Among Transplant Health Care Workers

Abstract

Background. Pertussis is a vaccine-preventable respiratory infection caused by Bordetella pertussis. Since the 1980s, there has been a steady increase in the number of reported cases of pertussis in the United States. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that all Health Care Workers (HCWs) who have not received or are unsure of the status of their pertussis vaccination, should receive a dose of Tdap as soon as feasible. There is scant data regarding pertussis vaccination status of HCWs and compliance with current ACIP recommendations. Methods. A survey questionnaire was created and validated to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices regarding Pertussis vaccination. The survey was conducted among all the HCWs in a Transplant Center at a tertiary care suburban New York hospital. This paper based survey questionnaire was distributed to all the HCWs in September 2016. Results. A total of 139 transplant HCWs were surveyed with a response rate of 100%. Only 53/139 (39%) of the respondents had received Pertussis vaccination in last 3 years. 55/139 (40%) of respondents were aware of the current recommendations regarding Pertussis vaccination. Factors associated with increased likelihood of receipt of vaccination were HCWs who have direct patient contact (p: 0.024, OR: 5.0), HCWs who have been pregnant or had a pregnant spouse (p: 0.012, OR: 6.3) and in HCWs who were aware of the current vaccination guidelines (p: 00061, OR: 3.5). Of the HCWs who received vaccination, 62% received it at their primary care clinic, 26% at employee health clinic and 12% during their hospitalizations. HCWs who did not receive the pertussis vaccination cited concerns about the safety of the vaccine (55%), their physicians not recommending it (14 %) and lack of awareness of current guidelines (14 %). Conclusion. Rate of vaccination and knowledge regarding the current guidelines of pertussis vaccination remains inadequate among HCWs. Based on these results, the rates of vaccination could be improved by sustained education regarding the knowledge of current guidelines for pertussis vaccination and safety and tolerability of vaccination. HCWs should also be educated about the potential risks of spread of pertussis via HCWs especially in at risk patients including neonates and immune-compromised hosts.