Knowledge influences attitudes toward vaccination in Romania.

Knowledge influences attitudes toward vaccination in Romania. Exp Ther Med. 2019 Dec;18(6):5088-5094 Authors: Deleanu D, Petricau C, Leru P, Chiorean I, Muntean A, Dumitrascu D, Nedelea I Abstract Despite proven effectiveness and safety of vaccinations, immunization rates are decreasing across Europe, most countries having suboptimal vaccination coverage, leading to an increase in the number of cases of preventable contagious diseases. In recent years, the number of parents who have refused to vaccinate their children in Romania has decreased substantially, while the number of fatal complications due to measles outbreak is one of the highest in Europe. Since healthcare professionals have been identified as the main advocates for immunization, knowledge and attitudes of medical students and nurses is of particular interest. A cross-sectional survey was carried out on 278 participants, divided into three groups: 183 medical students, 54 nurses and 41 non-medical professionals. The questionnaire included questions on demographics of participants, personal experience with vaccines, knowledge and attitude toward vaccination. The data was collected, centralized and analyzed using statistical methods. The survey was given to the medical students at the beginning of the Immunology course and again at the end, to test whether information received influenced their responses. The study revealed that a great majority of participants were themsel...
Source: Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine - Category: General Medicine Tags: Exp Ther Med Source Type: research