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Scarinci S, Padovan M, Cosci B, Petillo A, Gattini V, Cosentino F, Mignani A, Foddis R, Guglielmi G. Evaluation of Smallpox Vaccination Coverage and Attitude towards Monkeypox Vaccination among Healthcare Workers in an Italian University Hospital. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1741. [PMID: 38140146 PMCID: PMC10747083 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11121741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: In 2022, monkeypox (Mpox) was declared a public health emergency. The European Medicines Agency has authorized the use of Imvanex/Jynneos, a smallpox vaccine, for coverage against pox. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are all considered by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control to be at risk, but in Italy, vaccination was offered only to laboratory personnel. The present study aims to investigate smallpox vaccination coverage (VC) that provides protection against Mpox among HCWs in an Italian university hospital and to assess HCWs' attitudes towards the possibility of getting vaccinated against Mpox. (2) Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey. 336 HCWs from selected wards were asked to fill out a self-declaration to collect their sex, profession, ward, vaccination status, and attitude toward Mpox vaccination. (3) Results: 60.71% of HCWs involved provided the requested data; 38.7% of them were previously vaccinated against smallpox, which corresponds to 23.5% of the total HCWs in the wards considered. Considering those born before 1979 as vaccinated, VC increases from 23.5% to 41.7%; the percentage of HCWs who adhered to vaccination is 23%; laboratory technicians showed a lower willingness to be vaccinated. The ward with the highest willingness to vaccinate is proctological surgery. (4) Conclusions: Based on our experience, a variability in smallpox VC and in willingness to vaccination has emerged both among different job titles and age categories and across the wards analyzed. Additionally, our survey reveals that vaccination attitudes are higher among HCWs from wards that currently do not have free access to such vaccinations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Scarinci
- Occupational Preventive Medicine Ward, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (S.S.); (M.P.); (B.C.); (A.P.); (V.G.); (F.C.); (A.M.)
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy;
| | - Martina Padovan
- Occupational Preventive Medicine Ward, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (S.S.); (M.P.); (B.C.); (A.P.); (V.G.); (F.C.); (A.M.)
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy;
| | - Bianca Cosci
- Occupational Preventive Medicine Ward, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (S.S.); (M.P.); (B.C.); (A.P.); (V.G.); (F.C.); (A.M.)
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy;
| | - Armando Petillo
- Occupational Preventive Medicine Ward, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (S.S.); (M.P.); (B.C.); (A.P.); (V.G.); (F.C.); (A.M.)
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy;
| | - Vittorio Gattini
- Occupational Preventive Medicine Ward, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (S.S.); (M.P.); (B.C.); (A.P.); (V.G.); (F.C.); (A.M.)
| | - Francesca Cosentino
- Occupational Preventive Medicine Ward, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (S.S.); (M.P.); (B.C.); (A.P.); (V.G.); (F.C.); (A.M.)
| | - Aldo Mignani
- Occupational Preventive Medicine Ward, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (S.S.); (M.P.); (B.C.); (A.P.); (V.G.); (F.C.); (A.M.)
| | - Rudy Foddis
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy;
| | - Giovanni Guglielmi
- Occupational Preventive Medicine Ward, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (S.S.); (M.P.); (B.C.); (A.P.); (V.G.); (F.C.); (A.M.)
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Invasive Meningococcal Disease and Meningococcal Serogroup B Vaccination in Adults and Their Offspring: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices in Italy (2019). Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:vaccines11030508. [PMID: 36992092 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11030508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite its effectiveness in preventing invasive meningococcal disease (IMD), pediatric uptake of recombinant meningococcal vaccination for serogroup B meningitis (MenB) is low in Italy. This study aimed to investigate knowledge, attitudes, and practice (KAP) about IMD and the vaccine uptake for MenB from July to December 2019, in a sample collected from a series of local Facebook discussion groups from the provinces of Parma and Reggio Emilia (North-Eastern Italy; 337,104 registered users). A self-administered anonymous web-based questionnaire was used to collect demographics, knowledge status, perceived risk for contracting meningitis, attitude towards the utility of meningococcal vaccine, and willingness to receive/perform MenB vaccine in their offspring. In total, 541 parents returned a fully completed questionnaire (response rate of 1.6% of potential recipients), with a mean age of 39.2 years ± 6.3 (78.1% females). Meningococcal infection was identified as severe or highly severe by most participants (88.9%), while it was recognized as being frequent/highly frequent in the general population by 18.6% of respondents. The overall knowledge status was unsatisfactory (57.6% ± 33.6 of correct answers to the knowledge test). Even though 63.4% of participants were somewhat favorable to MenB/MenC vaccines, offspring’s vaccination towards MenB was reported by only 38.7% of participants. In a binary logistic regression model, the male gender of respondents (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 3.184, 95% confidence interval [95%CI] 1.772 to 5.721), living in a municipality >15,000 inhabitants (aOR 1.675, 95%CI 1.051 to 2.668), reporting a favorable attitude on meningococcus B vaccine (aOR 12.472, 95%CI 3.030 to 51.338), having been vaccinated against serogroup B (aOR 5.624, 95%CI 1.936 to 16.337) and/or serogroup C (aOR 2.652, 95%CI 1.442 to 4.872), and having previously vaccinated their offspring against serogroup C meningococcus (aOR 6.585, 95%CI 3.648 to 11.888) were characterized as positive effectors of offspring’s vaccination. On the contrary, having a higher risk perception on vaccines was identified as the only negative effector (aOR 0.429, 95%CI 0.241 to 0.765). Our results hint towards extensive knowledge gaps on IMD and preventive interventions in the general population, suggesting that a positive attitude towards vaccines and vaccinations could be identified as the main effector also for MenB acceptance. Interventions in the general population aimed at improving confidence, compliance, and acknowledgment of the collective responsibility, as well as preventing actual constraints and the sharing of false beliefs on infectious diseases and their preventive measures, could therefore increase vaccination acceptance in both targeted individuals and their offspring.
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