Peer-reviewed article
Influenza vaccination uptake and associated factors among healthcare workers in Chengdu's maternal and child health institutions in the post-pandemic era.
Mei Cha, Hongmei Tang, Hairong Wang, Qiaoqiao Li, Erdan Luo et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined influenza vaccination rates among healthcare workers in maternal and child health institutions in Chengdu, China after the COVID-19 pandemic. Only about one-third of the 1,880 healthcare workers surveyed had received flu vaccination, though over half expressed willingness to be vaccinated. Knowledge about flu vaccines was limited, with less than half correctly knowing when protection develops or how long it lasts. Vaccination rates were higher among older workers, those with advanced degrees, and nursing or administrative staff.
Key points
- Only 35.21% of healthcare workers in maternal and child health institutions had received influenza vaccination since June 2024
- 57.61% reported willingness to be vaccinated before the 2025 influenza season, indicating an intention-behavior gap
- Objective knowledge was suboptimal: 45.05% correctly identified the time to develop protective antibodies (2-4 weeks), and 43.72% correctly identified duration of protection
- Independent correlates of vaccination uptake included older age, master's degree or higher education, working in secondary-level hospitals, and being a nurse or administrative staff
- Willingness to vaccinate was the strongest predictor, with those willing to vaccinate being 23 times more likely to receive the vaccine than those unwilling
Limitations
This is a cross-sectional survey capturing a single point in time, so causality cannot be determined. The study is limited to one city and maternal and child health institutions, which may not represent vaccination patterns in other healthcare settings or regions.
Abstract
PURPOSE: This study assessed influenza vaccination uptake, knowledge, beliefs, and willingness among healthcare workers (HCWs) in maternal and child health (MCH) institutions in Chengdu in the post-COVID-19 era and identified factors associated with vaccination behavior. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in 10 Chengdu MCH institutions from May 12 to June 30, 2025, using a validated questionnaire. Analyses included descriptive statistics, univariate tests (chi-square; independent-samples t-tests/one-way ANOVA), and hierarchical multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Among 1,880 HCWs, 35.21% (662) reported receiving influenza vaccination since June 2024, and 10.43% reported clinician-diagnosed influenza. Before the 2025 influenza season, 57.61% reported willingness to be vaccinated. Objective knowledge was suboptimal: 45.05% correctly identified the time to develop protective antibodies (2-4 weeks), and 43.72% correctly identified the duration of protection (at least 6 months). Belief scores increased with higher education and professional title (p < 0.05) and were lowest among outsourced staff. Hierarchical regression (Nagelkerke R 2 = 0.377) identified independent correlates of vaccination uptake, including older age [odds ratio (OR) = 1.029 per year], master's degree or above (OR = 2.067), working in secondary-level MCH hospitals (OR = 5.377) or outpatient/preventive-care departments (OR = 1.682), being a nurse (OR = 1.804) or administrative staff member (OR = 3.262) versus physician, higher belief score (OR = 1.062 per point), and, most strongly, willingness to vaccinate (uncertain vs. unwilling: OR = 3.431; willing vs. unwilling: OR = 23.296). CONCLUSION: Influenza vaccination coverage among HCWs in Chengdu MCH institutions remained suboptimal in the post-pandemic period, with a clear intention-behavior gap. Uptake was associated with more favorable beliefs, higher willingness, older age, higher education, and institutional/departmental and occupational factors. Targeted strategies to strengthen confidence, improve access and convenience, and tailor interventions to specific departments and job categories are needed to increase coverage.