Background: As part of global efforts to contain the spread of the 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1), the Federal Ministry of Health of Nigeria is embarking on the vaccination of health care workers employed in health facilities nationwide. This study was designed to assess the willingness of doctors and nurses working in public health facilities in Ibadan, Nigeria to receive the influenza A (H1N1) vaccine.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was employed. Stratified simple random sampling was used to select a total of 304 doctors and nurses who worked at the public primary (70), secondary (51) and tertiary (183) levels of health care facilities in Ibadan. A self-administered, structured questionnaire that contained items on socio-demographics, sources of information, knowledge about the infection and the vaccine, risk perception, willingness to receive the vaccine and suggestions to improve vaccination acceptance by health-care workers was used to collect the data.
Main findings: A total of 255 providers responded for an overall response rate of 84%. The mean age of the respondents was 35.0 ± 9.7 years. A high proportion (88.2%) of the participants, including 94.9% of the doctors and 87.0% of the nurses, reported a willingness to receive the vaccine. Perceptions regarding the risk of contracting influenza, the availability of effective vaccinations for prevention and beliefs that the disease is fatal were reasons given by respondents who reported willingness to receive the vaccination. Those participants who reported ever hearing about the pandemic (AOR 2.0, 95% CI 1.2-3.2) and those who had a high-risk perception of contracting the disease (AOR 2.0, 95% CI 1.2-3.7) were likely to receive the vaccine.
Conclusion: Doctors and nurses at the three levels of health care facilities in Ibadan were willing to receive the pandemic influenza A (H1N1) vaccine. Efforts should be made to deliver the vaccines via adequate planning.
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