Percezione del rischio di influenza e attitudine alla vaccinazione degli studenti di medicina e infermieristica durante le campagne vaccinali 2007/2008 (influenza stagionale) e 2009/2010 (influenza H1N1)

BackgroundThe Italian law on health and safety at work requires that (i) employers provide workers with safe and effective vaccine, (ii) occupational physicians inform workers about benefits and inconveniences deriving from immunization.ObjectiveTo assess risk perception of influenza and attitude to vaccination of students of the School of Medicine of Modena during the two vaccination campaigns.MethodsThe study, including 598 medical and nursing students (212 vaccinated and 386 non-vaccinated) exposed to influenza virus, was performed in October 2007-April 2008 (during the seasonal influenza campaign), in October-November 2009 and in March-May 2010 (during and after the H1N1 influenza campaign, respectively). Information about influenza risk perception and attitude toward vaccination, together with perception from different risk factors (smoking, traffic pollution, driving, cellular phones, nuclear power, alcoholic beverage) was collected by a self-administered 4-point Likert scales (1=low risk, 4 high risk) questionnaire.ResultsThe students perceived both the risk of influenza and of influenza immunization at the lowest level as compared with the other risks. Whereas the overall risk perception (excluding influenza and vaccination) was similar within the groups, influenza risk perception significantly is significantly lower in the group 2007/2008, whereas the risk of immunization increases in the group 2010. Age, gender and being medical or nursing student did not influence risk perception and vaccination attitude.ConclusionAlthough influenza vaccination is recommended, its coverage in medical and nursing students is generally low, due to different factors including underestimate of the preventable disease, lack of knowledge about the benefits of immunization and, according to this study, to the perceptive components of risk associated both to the disease and the immunization practice.