Abstract
Objectives: Reducing influenza infection among hospital employees is
vital to prevent the spread of this infection among patients. A
questionnaire study was performed to investigate seasonal influenza
infection and vaccination among hospital employees, with the aim of
decreasing the incidence of influenza. Methods: From 2014 to 2017, we
distributed a questionnaire to hospital employees who were eligible for
vaccination. The following information was collected: age of
respondents, whether they lived with children aged <15 years,
their preseason vaccination status, and their history of seasonal
influenza infection. The data were analyzed and averaged for all 4
influenza seasons. Results: The incidence of influenza was 6.2% among
employees through 4 seasons. The inoculation rate of the influenza
vaccine ranged from 92% to 99%. The odds ratio for influenza infection
among employees living with children aged <15 years was 2.19
(P<0.0001). A decrease in influenza infection was not observed
in vaccinated employees (P=0.75). Conclusions: The results suggested
that influenza infection in hospital personnel is not due to a low
vaccination rate. Among people living with children younger than 15
years, the odds ratio of influenza infection was 2.19
(P<0.0001). These findings suggest that protection against
influenza infection at home is particularly required for hospital
employees living with children aged <15 years.