Physician vaccinate thyself: why influenza vaccination rates are higher among clinicians than among nonclinicians

National vaccination guidelines recommend influenza vaccination for clinical employees with patient contact. For many other healthy working adults, influenza vaccination is optional.

We examined acceptance of a free influenza vaccine among clinical university employees who had patient contact and nonclinical university employees who did not have patient contact. We asked whether and why job role had an influence on the decision to be vaccinated.

Clinical (n = 103) and nonclinical (n = 339) employees of two universities completed a mailed questionnaire.

Vaccination rates were higher among clinical employees (62%) than among their nonclinical counterparts (47%). This effect of job role on vaccine acceptance was statistically mediated by perceived riskiness of getting vaccinated, knowledge about the vaccine, easy access to the vaccine, pro-Western medicine beliefs, and social influence. It was not vaccinated by perceived likelihood of getting infected or concern about infecting others.

Clinical employees have higher vaccination rates than nonclinical employees, but not for the reasons that form the basis of national vaccination guidelines.