Thai Healthcare Workers’ Insight Influenza Vaccination: A Nation-Wide Focus Group Research

Abstract

Background: Vaccine hesitancy among healthcare workers (HCWs) remains a great challenge to prevent vaccine-preventable diseases such as influenza. Vaccine hesitant-HCWs likely discourage them to recommend vaccination to their patients. This study aimed to gain better understanding influenza vaccine hesitancy among healthcare workers and determine their concerns and perceptions about vaccine and influenza in relation to vaccine hesitancy.                   

Methods: We conducted a qualitative study, using semi-structured, focus-group discussion with 72 HCWs from four provincial hospitals recruited using purposive sampling from north, south, northeast and central of Thailand in August 2019. Audio-tape, field notes and observation were used for thematic analysis. We identified emergent themes related to vaccine hesitancy framework i.e. confidence, complacency, convenience framework.                                                 

Results: From nation-wide focus group discussions among 72 HCWs covered all types of work in healthcare facilities, and diverse organization cultures, social contexts and norms. The result revealed that vaccine hesitancy existed in all health facilities among all types of HCWs. The important determinant of vaccine hesitancy was the fear of vaccine adverse event. While high confidence of vaccination was expressed, there was strong uncertain feeling of similarity of vaccine composition and circulation virus. Lack of communication about vaccine benefit and risk was presented among non-medical staff, similarity with high demands of scientific evidence among certain profession. Interestingly, health professionalism highly expressed among some professionals to encourage HCWs to accept vaccine as responsibility to protect patients and others. Other emerge themes were fear of needle, time constraint and inadequate of vaccine supply were presented across four regions.                                                                      

Conclusions: Comprehensive scientific information about vaccine and influenza should be communicated strategically to HCWs to increase their confident on vaccine effectiveness and well understand about its risks and benefits.  Promoting and empowering HCWs to be more aware of professional duty to protect patients from influenza and mitigate influenza spreading by them may likely lessen hesitancy to vaccination among HCWs.