Knowledge, perceptions, and practice towards adverse events following immunization surveillance among vaccination workers in Zhejiang province, China

Abstract

Objective: To access the level of knowledge, perceptions, and practice towards adverse events following immunization (AEFI) surveillance among vaccination workers in Zhejiang province, China. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey involving 768 vaccination workers. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires and analyzed by using SAS 9.3 software. Knowledge, perceptions, and practice on AEFI surveillance were summarized using frequency tables. The mean±SD value was used as the cut-off for defining good (values⩾mean) and poor (values<mean) knowledge, perceptions or practice. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to determine sociodemographic variables associated with knowledge, perceptions, and practice towards AEFI. Results: The proportions of good knowledge, perceptions and practice on AEFI surveillance were 78.13%, 57.81% and 66.15%, respectively. Having a higher education background, longer years of experience, previous training on AEFI and ⩾30 years of age were factors associated with good knowledge, perceptions and practice on AEFI surveillance among vaccination workers. Conclusions: Over half of the respondents had good knowledge, perceptions and practice on AEFI surveillance work. Interventions on improving the vaccination workers’ knowledge, perceptions and practice on AEFI surveillance should be considered in order to develop a more effective surveillance system.

Keywords

• adverse events following immunization; surveillance; knowledge; perception; practice