A recent survey of Waikato Hospital staff working with paediatric patients also found that nurses had the lowest ‘flu immunisation rate, The University of Auckland’s Waikato Clinical School researchers reported at the recent National Immunisation Conf
They wanted to compare the immunisation rate between different types of hospital staff and different levels or categories of profession. Also, who chose not to be immunised and why.
More than 190 survey forms were returned with the current rate of immunisation of respondents 62.1 per cent and the projected rate 75 per cent. Of the doctor respondents, 85 per cent were immunised and 97 per cent intended to be. But for nurses, the current and projected immunisation rate was the same at 62.8 per cent.
The researchers found no statistically significant association between immunisation rates and the level or category of profession. The most common reason for not being immunised was listed as “other” at 38 per cent followed by “possible side effects outweigh the benefits” at 13 per cent.
They concluded that the immunisation rates of staff working with children were “promising” but further interventions, “including education of nursing staff” needed to be implemented in order to further improve the improvisation rate.
