Occupational Health Providers' Perceptions of Employee Vaccine Hesitancy.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the perspectives of occupational health providers (OHPs) on the most frequently encountered clinically relevant reasons for employee vaccine hesitancy. METHODS: We conducted an anonymous, online, cross-sectional survey of US OHPs ( N = 217). The survey asked OHPs about the major reasons that employees cite for being unwilling to receive the following three categories of vaccines: COVID-19, annual influenza, and others relevant to the workplace. RESULTS: Concern about adverse effects was the most frequently reported reason for employee vaccine hesitancy for each vaccine category. Mistrust was reported more frequently for COVID-19 than for the influenza vaccine or other vaccines (χ 2P < 0.05). Targets of employee mistrust included government and researchers or scientists, but mistrust of healthcare providers was uncommon. CONCLUSIONS: These results can be used to inform interventions to address vaccine hesitancy in the occupational health setting.

Worker training for new threats: a proposed framework.

BACKGROUND: In an effort to identify health and safety training needs for various groups of workers related to weapons of mass destruction, including chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons and high yield explosives (CBRNE), a conference, "Worker Training in a New Era: Responding to New Threats," was held at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in October 2002. METHODS: Two questions were addressed: Which general skills and knowledge are common to all workers who might be exposed to terrorist threats from CBRNE weapons? What are the particular skills and knowledge relevant to these threats that are specific to workers in different sectors? RESULTS: Thirteen core components for pre- and post-event training were identified. Pre-event training applies to all workers. Post-event training applies to selected personnel including first responders, skilled support personnel, and other workers involved in these operations. Recommendations to improve worker safety training related to preparedness include: identify specific competencies for worker pre- and post-event training; coordinate Federal policy on worker training for CBRNE hazards; adopt federal guidelines or standards on worker training for new CBRNE threats, based on the competencies and coordinated Federal policy; conduct an inventory of training programs and other resources that could be used or adapted for use for new threats; and develop new training content and methods for pre- and post-event training to address specific competencies. CONCLUSIONS: Given the possibility for the introduction of CBRNE threats into the workplace, all workers need some training in the potential hazards involved: the individual worker's specific role in an emergency; incident command; activation of the emergency notification system; use of personal protective equipment (PPE); and safe evacuation of the workplace. While some occupational sectors have developed effective training related to these new threats, there is a need to develop, implement, and evaluate training programs across many different sectors of the workforce.