SHBC1577
P.CHNG1
Yishun Community Hospital1
Before COVID-19, the risks of influenza-associated outbreaks, hospitalization, complications and death are high among the elderly residents in nursing homes. Although increasing influenza vaccination coverage among nursing staff had been proven effective in reducing morbidity and mortality of residents, influenza vaccination uptake rates among nursing staff in local nursing homes have not achieved the recommended level of vaccination coverage. This study therefore aims to identify factors associated with uptake of influenza vaccinations among nursing staff working in local nursing homes.
A cross-sectional study on nursing staff in nursing homes was conducted with self-administered survey given to the nursing staff before start of an education talk on prevention of influenza outbreak. The survey included questions on demographics, history of influenza vaccination, statements measuring Health Belief Model (HBM) components, and organizational provisions.
Completed data from 400 subjects were analysed. 64.5% (n = 258) reported they have received the influenza vaccine in 2017 while 35.5% (n = 142) reported they did not receive the influenza vaccine in 2017. Many responses on demographical, behavioural and organizational factors were significantly different among participants across 8 nursing homes. After adjusting for potential confounders of age, gender and nursing homes in multivariate analysis, only one factor significantly associated with influenza vaccine uptake was staff awareness of policy/ guidelines/ recommendations (OR: 1.8; 95% CI: 1.07, 2.91).
Strategies to promote uptake of influenza vaccine among nursing staff should be made relevant to the different nursing homes respectively and include having a policy/ guideline/ recommendation for staff influenza vaccination.
