Doctors’ Perception On The Safety And Efficacy Of The Flu Vaccine

Over the years, the prevalence of flu has increased in spite of advancements in treatment. Every year 3 to 5 million people are affected by the flu. Vaccination has been shown to have various benefits involving reducing the risk of flu illnesses, hospitalizations and even the risk of flu-related death in children.

We are conducting this survey to determine doctors’ perceptions of the safety and efficacy of the flu vaccine.

Objective: Understanding doctors’ perception of the safety and efficacy of the flu vaccine

A total of 100 doctors participated in the survey – General Practitioners (65%), Pediatricians (24%), and Others (11%)

• Most of the doctors (53%) stated that they always recommend flu vaccines to their patients.
• Around 50% of doctors stated that the best time to get vaccinated is seasonal, while 38% of doctors said any time of the year
• Injectable recombinant influenza vaccine was recommended by 55% of doctors to their patients followed by injectable inactivated influenza vaccine recommended by 35% of doctors
• The doctors stated that 84% of their patients prefer injectables and only 16% of patients preferred nasal spray
• A majority of doctors (41%) stated that a lack of awareness of the benefits of the flu vaccine was the most common barrier preventing flu vaccination
• To encourage flu vaccination, 31% of doctors stated that increasing awareness about flu vaccine through campaigns will be beneficial while 22% stated that detailed discussion with patients on the importance of vaccination will be beneficial

Our study reveals that the majority of doctors always recommend the flu vaccine to their patients. Injectable Inactivated Influenza Vaccine (IIV) was the most common type of influenza vaccine recommended to the patients. A majority of doctors recommended that healthcare organizations can encourage flu vaccination by increasing awareness through campaigns.

Creating an online shared platform that can keep track of the patient’s vaccination history as well as provide reminders for flu vaccination will result in better compliance with vaccination programs, reduce side-effects resulting from vaccination and the overall incidence of flu infection.

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