Doha, Qatar: A recent study reveals that the majority of primary care physicians in Qatar concur that vaccination significantly reduces the risk of spreading seasonal influenza. The study also indicates a higher vaccination rate among physicians over the age of 45.
Healthcare workers are a key group for influenza vaccination, and Qatar provides them with a complimentary vaccine annually.
The cross-sectional study, titled “Motivators and Barriers of Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Among Primary Health Care Physicians in Qatar,” found that 95% of primary care physicians strongly agree that vaccination mitigates the spread of influenza. The vaccination rate was notably higher among physicians aged 45 and above, reaching 100% among those 65 and older.
“There is a statistically significant association between vaccination rate, gender, and working experience,” the study reports.
Approximately one-third of the study participants believe that vaccination should be mandatory for healthcare workers. The availability of free vaccines is also cited as a crucial factor in encouraging vaccination.
The study, conducted by Dr. Mansoura Ismail, Dr. Kamran Aziz, Dr. Rizwan Ahmad, Dr. Ahmed Sameer AlNuaimi, Dr. Marwa Bibars, and Dr. Muna Mehdar AlSaadi at the Primary Health Care Corporation, is published in ScienceDirect, a leading source for scientific, technical, and medical research.
The study identifies the most common barriers to vaccination as the belief that one can still contract influenza after vaccination and the fear of side effects. “Strategies that address these concerns can increase influenza vaccine uptake in primary care,” the study suggests.
To prevent the spread of influenza and protect healthcare workers, their patients, and their families, the flu vaccine is offered annually to healthcare workers.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that healthcare workers receive a flu shot every year. If healthcare workers contract the flu, it can increase absenteeism by 30 to 40%, potentially reducing healthcare availability. Since many healthcare workers may be asymptomatic, this increases the risk of infecting patients, thereby raising illness and death rates among vulnerable groups.