Influenza vaccine hesitancy among health workers, Bahia State, Brazil

Abstract

The World Health Organization acknowledges vaccine hesitancy as one of the ten most serious global health threats. The study investigated the association between confidence, convenience, and complacency and influenza vaccine hesitancy among male and female health workers. The study included 453 workers in primary and mediumcomplexity health services in a medium-sized city in the state of Bahia, Brazil. Vaccine-hesitant individuals were defined as those who had not received an influenza vaccine in 2019. Structural equation models were used to assess interrelations between target predictive variables and vaccine hesitancy. One-fourth of the workers (25.4%) hesitated to be vaccinated for influenza. Lower confidence (standardized coefficient - SC = 0.261; p = 0.044) and higher complacency (SC = 0.256; p < 0.001) were significantly associated with vaccine hesitancy. Convenience was not associated with vaccine hesitancy. Workers not involved in patient care, workers in medium-complexity services, and male workers reported less receptiveness from the health professional administering the vaccines. Fear of needles was associated with both lower confidence and greater vaccine hesitancy. History of vaccine reactions was not associated directly with vaccine hesitancy, but it was associated with greater complacency, that is, less perception of risk from vaccine-preventable diseases. Since annual influenza vaccination is recommended, influenza vaccine hesitancy can increase the burden of this disease in the population. The data back the hypothesis that factors related to confidence and complacency produce harms in this vaccinés acceptance and should be considered in the development of strategies and actions for greater adherence to vaccination.