Background: In Italy, the general practitioner (GP) is the operations manager of the campaigns regarding influenza immunization. He/she identifies people eligible for vaccination among the clients, invites them actively and administers the vaccine. The GPs are directly in contact with the target population that should be vaccinated and their opinion about the flu vaccine may ultimately influence the decision of the patient to accept or not the vaccination. This study aims to assess levels of immunization for influenza vaccination among GPs and factors influencing their adherence to the vaccinations recommended for GPs in the province of Taranto (Apulia region, Southern Italy).
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among 471 general practitioners working in the province of Taranto during the February-March period of 2016. We emailed all GPs a self-administered web-based standardized questionnaire. The questionnaire analyzed the self-reported flu vaccination coverage, knowledge, perception and positions of the GPs with regard to the forecasted vaccinations of the in-risk categories among their patients.
Results: A total of 229 (48.6%) GPs participated in the survey. In the 2015/2016 influenza season, the vaccination coverage among the interviewed GPs was 76.4% (n = 175). A patient number ≥ 900 increased the likelihood to have been vaccinated in the 2015/2016 season (OR = 3.3; P < 0.01). Overall only 79.9% prefers to use the adjuvated vaccines on patients > 64 and the 58% of GPs who chose not to get vaccinated considers influenza as a non-risk pathology for a healthy subject.
Conclusions: The coverage achieved among the Taranto's ASL GPs during the 2015/16 season reaches the minimum threshold set by the Minister, but they could implement their knowledge and their participation in relation to the anti-influenza vaccine in order to discard all the wrong or clearly unfounded common beliefs. The best strategy in order to optimize the governance system seems to be the empowerment of primary care physicians, to be fulfilled through actions shared with the Public Healthcare Services based on training, communication and projects supporting vaccine coverage.
Keywords: Attitude; General practice; Influenza; Survey; Vaccination.