The weighted, probability-based survey was conducted by phone or online from August 16 to 18, 2024. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.8 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
"Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation about vaccinations, but the reality is that they are safe and highly effective in preventing serious illness and death," Nora Colburn, MD, said in the Ohio State press release. "Older adults, people with certain chronic medical conditions, and those who are pregnant are especially at risk during respiratory virus season."
Some health workers think they're low-risk
For the second study, researchers in Rennes, France, used an anonymous online survey to estimate flu and COVID-19 vaccine uptake, identify the reasons behind vaccination decisions, and determine plans to get the vaccines the following year among healthcare workers (HCWs) at a network of academic hospitals in fall 2022 and winter 2022-23.
Easy access to COVID and influenza vaccines in the workplace, and better information about their benefits, may improve their uptake.
Of the 1,587 respondents, 30% were paramedics, 20% were medics, 16% were administrative workers, and 15% were nurse assistants. Two percent of HCWs reported having a contraindication to either vaccine, and 8% were at risk for severe flu or COVID.
The results, published this week in Vaccine, show that 64% and 42% of HCWs were vaccinated against the flu and COVID-19, respectively. A multivariable analysis found that being a medic or older than 40 years was linked to receipt of both the flu and COVID-19 vaccines. Adverse-event rates among vaccinated HCWs were 8% and 37% after flu and COVID-19 vaccination, respectively; 61% of these events were mild and transient.
Of the 19% of HCWs who did not receive the flu vaccine, 85% said they refused it because of the following reasons: they considered themselves not at risk for severe illness (51%), the vaccine was not mandatory (25%), they didn't trust the vaccine (25%), or they thought the vaccine was ineffective (18%). In total, just 38% of HCWs believed the 2022-23 flu vaccine to be effective, and 36% said they would have received the vaccine had they been told it was effective.
"Although influenza and COVID vaccines are recommended for healthcare workers (HCWs), vaccine coverage is sub-optimal for influenza in this population, and the situation did not improve during the COVID pandemic," the study authors wrote.
"Easy access to COVID and influenza vaccines in the workplace, and better information about their benefits, may improve their uptake," they concluded. "Future vaccination campaigns should communicate more about potential adverse effects, and effectiveness."
Mental illness and lower COVID vaccine uptake
Yesterday in Psychiatry Online, Kaiser Permanente researchers in Georgia, Washington, and Southern California reported on the link between psychiatric conditions and the odds of receiving flu and COVID-19 vaccines among more than 1.3 million people over 1 year.
The vaccination rates observed for individuals with and without diagnosed psychiatric conditions were below national benchmarks, suggesting room for improving vaccine uptake in both patient populations.
They also assessed the influence of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics on vaccine uptake. Psychiatric patients were matched by age and sex with control participants without a psychiatric diagnosis.
The probability of receiving a flu vaccine was 18% higher and of receiving a COVID vaccine 3% lower in the psychiatric patients than in controls.
"The findings provide evidence that people with mental health conditions were more likely to receive an influenza vaccine but were less likely to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, compared with individuals without such conditions," the researchers wrote. "However, the vaccination rates observed for individuals with and without diagnosed psychiatric conditions were below national benchmarks, suggesting room for improving vaccine uptake in both patient populations."
