BACKGROUND Vaccination is an important preventive measure for preparing against the influenza pandemics. This study investigated the attitudes and perceptions of influenza vaccination among doctors and medical students in Hong Kong. METHODS A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 204 doctors and 242 medical students in a teaching hospital in 2009. Participants' demographic and job charac...

Influenza is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality each year in the United States. From 1976 to 2007, annual deaths from influenza ranged from approximately 3,300 to 49,000. Vaccination against influenza has been recommended to prevent illness and related complications, and since 2010, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has recommended that all persons aged ≥6 months...

BACKGROUND Nursing home residents bear a substantial burden of influenza morbidity and mortality. Vaccination of residents and healthcare workers (HCWs) is the main strategy for prevention. Despite recommendations, influenza vaccination coverage among HCWs remains generally low. METHODS During the 2007-2008 influenza season, we conducted a nationwide survey to estimate influenza vaccination c...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recently expanded annual influenza vaccination recommendations to include all children 6 months through 18 years of age. Adolescent attitudes toward influenza vaccination may play a key role in reaching this newly added age group. This study examined the association between attitudes toward influenza v...

Assessing the beliefs and attitudes of Health Care Workers (HCW) to influenza and influenza vaccination can be useful in overcoming low compliance rates. The purpose of our study is to evaluate the opinion of HCW and students regarding influenza, influenza vaccine and the factors associated with vaccination compliance. A survey was conducted between October 2010 and April 2011 in the Florence m...

BACKGROUND Influenza and pneumococcal pneumonia are serious health problems among elderly people and a major cause of death in long-term care facilities. We describe the results of serial surveys of vaccination coverage and influenza outbreak management in Canadian long-term care facilities over the last decade. METHODS Cross-sectional surveys consisting of questionnaires mailed to all Canadi...

BACKGROUND Annual immunization is the most effective way to prevent influenza and its associated complications. However, optimal immunization rates are not being met in Nova Scotia, Canada. Additional providers, such as pharmacists, may improve access and convenience to receive vaccines. Pharmacists began immunizing patients 5 years of age and older within the publicly funded universal influenz...

OBJECTIVE We sought to evaluate the impact of intense influenza media coverage during the 2003-2004 influenza season on the influenza vaccination status of children 6 to 59 months of age. METHODS Children 6 to 59 months of age who presented to a large, academic pediatric continuity clinic or affiliated acute care clinic in the summer of 2004 were enrolled. A parental survey ascertained the in...

BACKGROUND Limited information is available about seasonal influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) in tropical communities. OBJECTIVES Virus subtype-specific VE was determined for all military service personnel in the recruit camp and three other non-recruit camp in Singapore's Armed Forces from 1 June 2009 to 30 June 2012. METHODS Consenting servicemen underwent nasal washes, which were teste...

This study aimed to examine influenza vaccination coverage of North Korean defectors (NKD) in the Republic of Korea (Korea) and explore the factors affected the vaccination coverage. Total 378 NKD were analyzed. Four Korean control subjects were randomly matched by age and gender from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey V (n = 1,500). The adjusted vaccination coverage rev...