Herpes zoster knowledge, attitudes, and herpes zoster vaccine acceptability among patients in a tertiary hospital and dermatologists in the Philippines: A cross-sectional study

As life expectancy increases, age-related diseases become more frequent and severe, making vaccination a key strategy for disease prevention. To assess the knowledge and attitudes toward herpes zoster and to determine associations with acceptability of vaccination among patients and dermatologists, a descriptive and quantitative analytic cross-sectional survey-based study was conducted among patients aged ≥50 y in a tertiary hospital, and dermatologists in the Philippines. Majority of dermatologists had good knowledge (97.5%) and attitudes (99.7%) toward vaccination. Reported barriers were vaccine cost, procurement, and storage. Only 32.8% of patients were aware of herpes zoster, of which 61.7% had good knowledge and 99.2% had positive attitudes toward vaccination. Majority (87.0%) were willing to be vaccinated. Fear of side effects and unwillingness to pay limited acceptance. Knowledge did not impact vaccine acceptance, but favorable attitudes were associated with acceptance in both groups. Recall and social desirability bias cannot be ruled out, and sampling of patients was limited to a single outpatient clinic. Overall, Filipino dermatologists exhibit high levels of knowledge, positive attitudes, and vaccine acceptability. While patient awareness was limited, vaccine acceptability is high, particularly when recommended by a physician, highlighting their critical role in primary care.