OBJECTIVES: To investigate the attitudes of general practitioners (GPs) to varicella disease and varicella vaccine. METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire was mailed to GPs in Fairfield (located in the south-western suburbs of Sydney, NSW, Australia) to identify attitudes about varicella vaccine, previous experience with varicella disease and the likelihood of prescribing varicella vaccine. RESULTS: Of 239 questionnaires issued, 160 were returned (67%). The majority (72%) of respondents agreed that varicella vaccine should become part of the immunization schedule. However 12% of GPs did not support vaccination for varicella as they considered it to be a benign self-limiting disease. Respondents who had experience with varicella complications were significantly more likely to recommend universal vaccination (OR 3.36; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.38-8.19) whereas those respondents who were concerned about side effects of the vaccine were less likely to recommend universal vaccination (OR 0.31; CI 0.15-0.63). CONCLUSIONS: The majority of GPs are receptive to varicella vaccination becoming part of the immunization schedule. Experience with varicella complications is associated with recommending universal varicella vaccination. General practitioners in this cohort do not consider varicella to be a benign disease, but they are concerned about possible unknown side effects of the vaccine. Public health measures for introducing universal vaccination need to address these concerns.
OBJECTIVES: To investigate the attitudes of general practitioners (GPs) to varicella disease and varicella vaccine. METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire was mailed to GPs in Fairfield (located in the south-western suburbs of Sydney, NSW, Australia) to identify attitudes about varicella vaccine, previous experience with varicella disease and the likelihood of prescribing varicella vaccine. RESULTS: Of 239 questionnaires issued, 160 were returned (67%). The majority (72%) of respondents agreed that varicella vaccine should become part of the immunization schedule. However 12% of GPs did not support vaccination for varicella as they considered it to be a benign self-limiting disease. Respondents who had experience with varicella complications were significantly more likely to recommend universal vaccination (OR 3.36; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.38-8.19) whereas those respondents who were concerned about side effects of the vaccine were less likely to recommend universal vaccination (OR 0.31; CI 0.15-0.63). CONCLUSIONS: The majority of GPs are receptive to varicella vaccination becoming part of the immunization schedule. Experience with varicella complications is associated with recommending universal varicella vaccination. General practitioners in this cohort do not consider varicella to be a benign disease, but they are concerned about possible unknown side effects of the vaccine. Public health measures for introducing universal vaccination need to address these concerns.
Authors: Raúl Herzog; María José Álvarez-Pasquin; Camino Díaz; José Luis Del Barrio; José Manuel Estrada; Ángel Gil Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2013-02-19 Impact factor: 3.295
Authors: Alies van Lier; Alma Tostmann; Irene A Harmsen; Hester E de Melker; Jeannine L A Hautvast; Wilhelmina L M Ruijs Journal: BMC Infect Dis Date: 2016-03-15 Impact factor: 3.090