[Health Expertise of Seasonal Influenza Vaccination among Midwife Trainees in North Rhine-Westphalia: Results of a Cross-Sectional Study]. / Wissen und Einstellungen über die saisonale Influenza-Impfung von Hebammenschülerinnen in Nordrhein-Westfalen: Ergebnisse einer Querschnittsstudie.

OBJECTIVE: For the first time, the level of knowledge and attitude towards vaccinations in general as well as seasonal influenza vaccination of midwife trainees in Germany was assessed. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was conducted between May and July 2017. The written standardized questionnaire was completed by all midwife-trainees in North Rhine-Westphalia. The statistical analysis included frequency tables and multiple logistic regression models. RESULTS: All of the 10 Schools for Midwifery in North Rhine-Westphalia participated in the survey and 315 questionnaires (response rate: 95.7%) were analyzed. The efficacy of seasonal influenza vaccinations was misjudged by 77.8% and possible adverse events were correctly estimated by only 35.2%. Regarding the safety of the seasonal influenza vaccination during pregnancy, 56.2% of midwife trainees were not convinced of it. Factors associated with a higher risk for insufficient knowledge regarding the influenza vaccination were age (22-25 years vs. 18-21 years, adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.99 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.12-3.52)), an inaccurate evaluation of the risk of infection (aOR 3.68 95%-CI 1.85-7.29) and insufficient knowledge of the influenza disease (aOR 1.78 95%-CI 1.04-3.06). By contrast, 76.8% of midwife trainees reported a positive attitude towards vaccinations in general, although 73.3% complained of getting too little information on complications due to vaccines. CONCLUSION: The lack of knowledge regarding seasonal influenza vaccination in midwife trainees impedes the expansion of vaccine protection of midwives, pregnant women and newborns. Information campaigns among midwife trainees as well as an evaluation and optimization of teaching units including scientifically validated information seem necessary. Moreover, these findings should encourage physicians to increasingly draw attention to the importance and efficacy of seasonal influenza vaccination among all medical professionals.

Poor immunity status against poliomyelitis in medical students: a semi-anonymous study.

In spite of almost complete eradication, poliomyelitis continues to be a global threat even in non-endemic countries due to the ever-increasing international travel activities. Health care workers are at a special risk in acquiring pathogens from travelers returning from endemic countries. Polio vaccines are fairly well accepted throughout the German population. Yet, laboratory controls for successful immunization are carried out only sporadically in the general population, and not even the medical staff are routinely tested for polio immunity. The present study was initiated in order to assess the immunity status of young people at the very beginning of their career in clinical medicine. Within their first clinical semester, all students are supposed to undergo an obligatory health check in our Occupational Medicine Unit. A blood sample is taken and sent under a personal code to our diagnostic laboratories for virus serology, and for cryoconservation of residual serum, if available. Within the periods 2004-2006 and 2008-2010, we analyzed sera from 424 and 427 individuals, respectively, for anti-polio types 1, 2, 3 antibodies by a microneutralization assay. In the latest study period, there was a slight increase in the rate of fully protected persons: 63.9 % triple-seropositivity versus 57.1 % in the period 2004-2006. By the end of the second clinical semester, students with low or negative antibody levels (1:<10) were informed, and a (booster) vaccination was recommended.