Physician vaccinate thyself: why influenza vaccination rates are higher among clinicians than among nonclinicians.

BACKGROUND National vaccination guidelines recommend influenza vaccination for clinical employees with patient contact. For many other healthy working adults, influenza vaccination is optional. PURPOSE We examined acceptance of a free influenza vaccine among clinical university employees who had patient contact and nonclinical university employees who did not have patient contact. We asked whether and why job role had an influence on the decision to be vaccinated. METHOD Clinical (n = 103) and nonclinical (n = 339) employees of two universities completed a mailed questionnaire. RESULTS Vaccination rates were higher among clinical employees (62%) than among their nonclinical counterparts (47%). This effect of job role on vaccine acceptance was statistically mediated by perceived riskiness of getting vaccinated, knowledge about the vaccine, easy access to the vaccine, pro-Western medicine beliefs, and social influence. It was not vaccinated by perceived likelihood of getting infected or concern about infecting others. CONCLUSION Clinical employees have higher vaccination rates than nonclinical employees, but not for the reasons that form the basis of national vaccination guidelines.