Knowledge, Current Status, and Barriers toward Healthcare Worker Vaccination among Family Medicine Resident Participants in a Web-Based Survey in Korea

BACKGROUND: We investigated the knowledge, status, and barriers toward healthcare workers receiving vaccinations among Korean family medicine residents. To date, a systematic study has not been conducted among medical practitioners examining these variables. METHODS: A web-based, anonymous, self-administered questionnaire was distributed to all 942 family medicine residents working in 123 training hospitals in Korea. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate factors affecting vaccination completion. RESULTS: Korean family medicine residents (N=242, 25.7%) from 54 training hospitals (43.9%) participated in the survey. Only 24 respondents (9.9%) had correct knowledge on all the recommended vaccinations by the Korean Society of Infectious Diseases. The complete vaccination rates against hepatitis B virus and influenza were relatively high (69.4% and 83.0%, respectively), whereas they were relatively low against other infections (e.g., 16.5%– 53.1%). The most common reason for not receiving a vaccination was the belief that there was little possibility of infection from the vaccine-preventable diseases. CONCLUSION: Knowledge and vaccination coverage were poor among family medicine residents in Korea. Medical schools should provide vaccination information to healthcare workers as part of their mandatory curriculum. Further research should confirm these findings among primary care physicians and other healthcare workers.