[Short communication: Evaluation of the flu vaccine administered to health care workers in Trakya University Hospital in 2006].

After the detection of human cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) virus in Eastern Turkey in January 2006, Turkish Ministry of Health has had declared "National Plans of Activity for Pandemic Influenza". All health-care facilities were recommended to develop contingency plans. Then the essential activities were started in August 2006 in Trakya University, Faculty of Medicine (Edirne, Trace region of Turkey), and institutional education about pandemic influenza and preventive measures was implemented to health care workers (HCWs). In November 2006, health care workers were offered inactivated flu vaccine (Vaxigrip, Sanofi Pasteur, France) supplied by the Ministry of Health. The aim of this questionary survey was to evaluate the visions and conceptions of health care workers about influenza vaccination during the vaccination campaign. All the participants were informed by using an information form including the indications, contraindications and possible adverse reactions of flu vaccine, and were requested to complete the questionnaire about influenza vaccination according to their own perception before vaccination. Vaccine recipients were also invited to the vaccination unit if they had any adverse reaction. A total of 1041 HCWs (560 female, 481 male; mean age: 32.8 +/- 8.2 years) completed the questionnaire. Of them 884 subjects (85%) have accepted to be vaccinated, while 157 subjects (15%) have not. It was determined that 72 HCWs (6.9%) had been administered flu vaccine in 2005, and 38 (3.7%) have had an underlying chronic disease requiring medical therapy. Six subjects (16%) with an underlying chronic disease were vaccinated in 2005, while 66 HCWs (6.6%) without any chronic disease received vaccination voluntarily. Seven workers (0.7%) declined vaccination as they defined hypersensitivity to egg, and 84 workers (8%) had influenza vaccine voluntarily before the campaign in 2006. Sixty six workers (6.3%) have refused to be vaccinated as they considered influenza vaccination ineffective to protect against flu. Two workers (0.2%) had allergic skin reactions such as erythema and itching after vaccination. It can be concluded that influenza vaccination of the health care workers is a part of infection control policies and it is also a matter of patient safety. The implementation of necessary education programmes and attempts to emphasize the importance of vaccination of health care workers especially dealing with high risk patients, would be of crucial importance to decrease the morbidity and mortality due to influenza infections.