Vaccination literacy of healthcare workers: results of an online survey in three regions of the Russian Federation

The adherence of healthcare professionals to vaccination is one factor that affects patients’ trust in preventive vaccinations, population vaccination coverage, and, as a result, the incidence of vaccine-controlled infections. Vaccination decision-making largely depends on the vaccination literacy level of healthcare professionals (VL), which determines their own adherence to immunization, the effectiveness of communication with patients, and the ability to create a positive attitude towards vaccination in society. Objective. To study the vaccination literacy of primary healthcare professionals in three regions of the Russian Federation. Materials and methods. An anonymous online survey of primary health care doctors of various specialties and nurses (n=1427) was conducted in three regions of the Russian Federation: Arkhangelsk Oblast, Altai Krai, and Sverdlovsk Oblast using an adapted version of the European HLS19-VAC questionnaire developed by the World Health Organization. Results. The survey results showed that 53.4% of healthcare professionals had sufficient and 39.6% had excellent VL. Of healthcare professionals with low VL, 23% believed vaccination was not indicated for people with chronic diseases and were less likely to recommend vaccination; 18.0% believed that pregnant women should not be vaccinated, and only 10.0% recommended vaccination for the elderly. Conclusion. Despite the overall positive attitude towards vaccination, healthcare professionals differ in their VL; those with a low VL level have misconceptions and misinform patients. Measures are needed to increase the VL level of healthcare professionals and improve communication skills with patients to increase the vaccination coverage of the population.