Infectiologie / Immunologie / Rhumatologie 1
P408 Rates and determinants of vaccination against seasonal and pandemic influenza in Swiss prehospital emergency medical services workers
Introduction: Influenza is a major concern for emergency medical services (EMS). EMS-Workers' (EMSW) vaccination rates remain low. Determinants of vaccination for seasonal (SI) or pandemic influenza (PI) are unknown in this setting. We investigated influence of the H1N1 pandemic on EMS-W vaccination rates and determinants of influenza vaccination.
Methods: A multiple-choice questionnaire conducted in 2011, involving 65 EMS-W of the city of Lausanne, Switzerland. Demography, self-declared SI and PI vaccination status and motives for vaccine refusal or acceptation were collected.
Results: Response rate was 95.4% (n=62). 72.5% of EMS-W were young male, in good health; with more than 6 years of work experience in 74 %.Vaccination rates were 40.3% for both SI and PI, 19.3% for PI only, 1.6% for SI only, and 38.8% were not vaccinated at all. Women's vaccination rates (n= 17) were lower (23.5% for both SI and PI, 11.8% for PI only and 64.7% ere not vaccinated at all). 92% of the EMS-W vaccinated against both PI and SI (PI+/SI+) received at least one SI vaccination during the previous 3 years (p=0.001). This rate was 8.3% in the I-/SI- group (p = 0.001) and 25% in the PI+/SI- EMS-W (p=0.001). During the H1N1 pandemic, the SI vaccination rate increased from 25.8% during the preceding year to 41.9% (+62.4%)(p = 0.001). 30% of the PI+/SI+ EMS-W declared that they would not get vaccination during the following year. None of the PI-/SI- and PI+/SI- EMS-W was willing to be vaccinated in he
future. Altruism and the discomfort induced by the mandatory mask wearing policy were the main motivations to get vaccination against PI. Factors limiting PI or SI vaccination included the option to wear a surgical mask, avoidance of drugs in general, fear of vaccine adverse effects and concerns about vaccine safety and efficiency.
Discussion: Average vaccination rate in our EMS-W was low, particularly in women, and not sufficient to prevent the spread of influenza. Previous vaccination status was a significant determinant of PI and future vaccinations. The mandatory surgical-mask wearing policy played a dual role, and its net impact on vaccination rate is probably limited. Our population was mixed and could be divided in 3 groups: favourable to all vaccinations, against all vaccination even in a pandemic context, and ambivalent towards vaccination with a “pandemic effect”. hese results suggest a consistent vaccination pattern, only altered by exceptional circumstances.
P409 Persistent ACE