Abstract

Pandemic influenza vaccine, is important in many aspects for health care staff. Our questionnaire was conducted in 3 different centers to evaluate view of health care staff for pandemic influenza vaccine prior to epidemics. Our questionnaire was conducted with health care workers having possibility of direct exposure to patients including 182 doctors, 158 nurses and 54 management staff with a total of 394 people. The center of the staff, position, period of Office, whether she/he had seasonal influenza vaccine, whether he/she plans to get pandemic influenza vaccine and reason for this was questioned and noted. Of the 394 healtcare staff included in our study 221 were working in Hacettepe University Hospital,102 were in Ankara University Hospital, 71 were in Ankara Hematology and Oncology Hospital. Of the people enrolled in our study 259 were planning to get pandemic influenza vaccine while 135 were not. Of the staff planning to get pandemic influenza vaccine 77.6% were planning because they thought they were in risc group, 22.4% were planning because there was pandemics. Of the staff not planning to get pandemic influenza vaccine 23% were not taking vaccine because they did not want be guinae pig, 30.9% were concerned with side affects of vaccine, 46% had concerns as vaccine was too new. In case of group vaccination declaration of the specialists and determination of health care authorities is very important, so declarations about vaccine should adhere to this aspect. Other wise even in risc groups acceptance of the vaccine would be in lower rates.