When knowledge is not enough: Changing behavior to change vaccination results

Abstract

Why don't health care wofrkers universally embrace vaccination to prevent vaccine preventable diseases and protect themselves and their patients? To address this problem most vaccination campaigns focus on providing education and information to health care workers. While knowledge is a necessary first step, it is likely not sufficient to increase health care worker vaccine uptake. We discuss a novel approach to applying behavior change theories and principles as a framework to plan, guide, and evaluate vaccine promotion interventions, with the goal of enhancing vaccine coverage among health care workers.