Measles vaccine in the school settings: a cross-sectional study about knowledge personal beliefs attitudes and practices of school teachers in northern Italy.

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Minerva Pediatr. 2018 Jul 2. doi: 10.23736/S0026-4946.18.05206-4. [Epub ahead of print]

Measles vaccine in the school settings: a cross-sectional study about knowledge personal beliefs attitudes and practices of school teachers in northern Italy.

Riccó M¹² Vezzosi L³ Gualerzi G⁴ Balzarini F⁵ Mezzoiuso AG⁵ Odone A⁵ Signorelli C⁵.

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Abstract

BACKGROUND:

School teachers (STs) might have a crucial role in countering students and parents hesitancy towards immunization. Such role is associated with STs own knowledge attitudes and practices (KAP) towards vaccines. In this cross-sectional study we assess Measles vaccine KAP in a sample of Italian STs.

METHODS:

Between 01/2012 and 08/2015 376 STs from the Lombardy region were enrolled in the study; data were retrieved on socio-demographic characteristics KAP towards MeV including immunization status. The association between knowledge practices and a favorable attitude towards MeV was assessed calculating Odds Ratio (OR) and respective 95% Confidence Intervals (95%CI) through multivariate regression analysis.

RESULTS:

16.7% of STs in Italy know national recommendations on MeV and 16.0% were favorable to MeV and 12.8% of STs reported to have been vaccinated against MeV as adults and only 5.9% reported fears of MeV side effects (e.g. autisms). MeV propensity was associated with previous vaccination as adults (OR 5.222; 95%CI 1.752-15.567) knowledge of national recommendations and the understanding that MeV prevents natural infection and disease transmission (OR 2.274; IC95% 1.246-4.149 OR 14.061; IC95% 7.048-28.063 and OR 2.085; IC95% 1.125-3.864 respectively).

CONCLUSIONS:

The share of STs holding false beliefs and misconceptions towards MeV was lower than expected. STs might actively contribute to fight parents vaccine hesitancy and such social role should be further acknowledged and promoted by policy makers and the wider public health community.

PMID: 29968449 DOI: 10.23736/S0026-4946.18.05206-4