Background: An influenza epidemic occurs every year that results in substantial global mortality and morbidity. Immunization guidelines recommend influenza vaccination of health care workers, however, because of low knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding influenza and its vaccine, influenza vaccination among health care workers are universally low.
Objectives: This study aimed to know the knowledge, attitude, and practice, as well as education models about influenza and influenza vaccine of medical students in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Methods: A structured interview developed by Center for Disease Control and Prevention was applied to describe the knowledge, attitude, and practice of medical students at the School of Medicine Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia. Among 136 respondents recruited from year 2011, 2012, and 2013, 10 respondents with the highest KAP score were asked about education models regarding influenza and its vaccine in in-depth interviews.
Results: From 13% respondents that had received influenza vaccination, only half of them received influenza vaccination in the last 12 months. Eighty-two percents had heard of influenza vaccine and 45% of them knew that influenza vaccination is done once a year. Respondents considered that influenza vaccine is not effective and can cause influenza (34% and 45%) respectively. Four percents respondents had good level of knowledge, attitude, and practice, 77% of them average, while 18% had low level of knowledge, attitude, and practice. The proportion of respondents that had passed infection block with good level of knowledge, attitude, and practice were only 33% compared to 67% who had not passed the infection block. The education model they proposed was mostly seminar, workshop, visual media (poster, video), and pre-clinical training.
Conclusions: Medical students had average level of knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding influenza and influenza vaccine. These problems could be addressed during pre-clinical training by educating on the importance, effectiveness, and safety of influenza vaccine for them and their patients later. |