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. 2021 Aug 23;9:642636. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.642636

Table 2.

Physician awareness toward influenza and influenza vaccination.

Correct response, % Overall
N = 780
Specialty
CPs
(n = 156)
Pulmonologists
(n = 156)
Diabetologists
(n = 156)
OBGYN
(n = 156)
Cardiologists
(n = 156)
Sig (95%CL) a b c d e
Influenza is more serious than a “common cold”
85.64 86.54 #88.46 (c) 80.13 85.26 87.82
The signs and symptoms of influenza include fever, headache, sore throat, cough, nasal congestion, and aches and pains
83.08 84.62 82.05 80.13 83.97 84.62
Adults with influenza do not commonly experience nausea and vomiting or diarrhea
31.6 35.90 32.69 27.56 33.97 28.21
Symptoms do not typically appear 8–10 days after a person is exposed to influenza
57.82 53.21 55.13 57.05 61.54 #62.18 (a)
Influenza is transmitted primarily by coughing and sneezing
85.13 80.13 87.18 85.90 87.18 85.26
Influenza is not transmitted primarily by contact with blood and body fluids
44.87 39.10 46.15 39.10 #51.28 (ac) 48.72
People with influenza cannot transmit the infection only after their symptoms appear
37.56 34.62 39.74 34.62 33.97 44.87
Not everyone in general public is familiar with influenza vaccination
88.21 89.10 90.38 84.62 88.46 88.46
The most effective way of publicizing influenza vaccination are:
   HCP word of mouth
74.23 75.64 75.64 75.64 73.72 70.51
   In-clinic patient education/counseling
65.00 66.67 68.59 67.95 61.90 60.26
Influenza vaccines can be live or inactivated
83.46 #87.82 (d) 83.97 82.05 79.49 83.97
In case of mismatch of virus strains, the influenza vaccine efficacy may be reduced
84.10 83.97 84.62 82.05 83.33 86.61
I believe influenza vaccine is tolerable
83.46 85.26 87.18 85.26 79.49 80.13
The inactivated influenza vaccine does not contain live viruses that may cause some people to get influenza
27.95 21.79 29.49 26.28 28.85 #33.33 (a)
Influenza vaccine should be administered every year
76.92 75.64 74.36 #83.98 (bd) 73.72 76.92
Influenza vaccine can protect for 6–8 months
38.08 37.18 37.18 38.46 37.18 40.38
The appropriate time to give influenza vaccine is before flu season starts
78.97 76.92 82.05 77.57 77.56 80.77
Pregnancy and 2 weeks post-partum, children <2 years, elderly >65 years are the high-risk groups associated with influenza
70.38 66.67 70.51 70.51 71.79 72.44
Influenza vaccine needs to be taken on an annual basis
84.62 83.98 86.54 82.05 81.41 89.10
I feel that I am at risk to get influenza and should get vaccinated annually
87.44 85.26 87.82 88.46 86.54 89.10
Physicians can spread influenza to their patients
83.97 81.41 86.54 83.33 82.69 85.90
Guideline exists on preventive care for influenza
55.77 56.41 51.92 #63.46 (bd) 51.92 55.13
Center for Disease Control recommends that healthcare practitioners should receive the influenza shot
82.05 84.62 84.62 79.49 81.41 80.13
There is a difference between trivalent and quadrivalent influenza vaccines
76.03 77.56 #80.77 (e) 71.79 78.85 71.15
A quadrivalent influenza vaccine offers broad protection over a trivalent flu vaccine
86.79 87.18 89.10 84.62 89.10 83.97
There is a difference between subunit and split influenza vaccines
67.56 #69.87 (d) #73.72 (d) 66.03 57.05 #71.15 (d)
A subunit flu vaccine is less reactogenic
82.69 82.05 85.90 83.97 83.33 78.21
Correct response, % City of practice Zone of practice
Metro Non-metro North South East West
( n = 336) ( n = 444) ( n = 223) ( n = 224) ( n = 112) ( n = 221)
Sig (95%CL) f g h i j k
Influenza is more serious than a “common cold”
81.85 #88.51 (f) 85.20 86.16 79.46 #88.69 (j)
The signs and symptoms of influenza include fever, headache, sore throat, cough, nasal congestion, and aches and pains
85.42 81.31 81.61 83.04 83.93 84.16
Adults with influenza do not commonly experience nausea and vomiting or diarrhea
#35.71 (g) 28.60 #38.57 (ik) 28.57 #38.39 (k) 24.43
Symptoms do not typically appear 8–10 days after a person is exposed to influenza
59.29 56.76 42.15 55.80 62.50 #73.30 (hij)
Influenza is transmitted primarily by coughing and sneezing
84.82 85.58 87.00 83.48 85.71 84.62
Influenza is not transmitted primarily by contact with blood and body fluids
#65.77 (g) 29.05 50.22 (k) #62.05 (hk) #64.29 (hk) 12.22
People with influenza cannot transmit the infection only after their symptoms appear
#56.85 (g) 22.97 37.67 (k) #52.23 (hk) #50.89 (hk) 15.84
Not everyone in general public is familiar with influenza vaccination
89.88 86.94 87.45 88.39 84.82 90.50
The most effective way of publicizing influenza vaccination are:
   HCP word of mouth
#85.12 (g) 65.99 64.57 #87.95 (hjk) #78.57 (hk) 67.87
   In-clinic patient education/counseling
#77.38 (g) 55.63 38.12 #87.95 (hjk) #79.46 (hk) #61.54 (h)
Influenza vaccines can be live or inactivated
80.95 85.36 #89.24 (i) 70.98 #87.50 (i) #88.24 (i)
In case of mismatch of virus strains, the influenza vaccine efficacy may be reduced
86.61 82.21 #87.00 (i) 79.46 80.36 #87.78 (i)
I believe influenza vaccine is tolerable
82.14 84.46 #89.24 (i) 75.00 #83.04 (i) #86.43 (i)
The inactivated influenza vaccine does not contain live viruses that may cause some people to get influenza
#41.67 (g) 17.57 #31.84 (k) #37.95 (k) #30.36 (k) 12.67
Influenza vaccine should be administered every year
#83.63 (g) 71.85 #82.06 (k) #79.02 (k) 78.57 68.78
Influenza vaccine can protect for 6–8 months
#45.53 (g) 32.43 #40.36 (k) #46.88 (jk) 30.36 30.77
The appropriate time to give influenza vaccine is before flu season starts
80.95 77.48 81.62 75.89 82.14 77.83
Pregnancy and 2 weeks post-partum, children <2 years, elderly >65 years are the high-risk groups associated with influenza
#75.89 (g) 66.22 70.85 71.43 74.11 66.97
Influenza vaccine needs to be taken on an annual basis
86.01 83.56 82.06 84.37 83.03 88.24
I feel that I am at risk to get influenza and should get vaccinated annually
86.61 88.06 88.34 86.61 84.82 88.69
Physicians can spread influenza to their patients
81.85 85.59 84.30 78.13 86.61 #88.24 (i)
Guideline exists on preventive care for influenza
#71.73 (g) 43.69 28.70 #54.02 (h) #75.89 (hi) #74.66 (hi)
Center for Disease Control recommends that healthcare practitioners should receive the influenza shot
77.68 #85.36 (f) #83.41 (i) 71.88 #87.50 (i) #88.24 (i)
There is a difference between trivalent and quadrivalent influenza vaccines
#84.23 (g) 69.82 57.40 #77.68 (h) #88.39 (hi) #86.88 (hi)
A quadrivalent influenza vaccine offers broad protection over a trivalent flu vaccine
#91.96 (g) 82.88 83.41 87.50 89.29 88.24
There is a difference between subunit and split influenza vaccines
#73.51 (g) 63.06 43.95 #76.79 (h) #69.64 (h) #81.00 (hj)
A subunit flu vaccine is less reactogenic
83.04 82.43 83.86 79.02 76.79 #88.24 (ij)

CL, confidence level; CPs, consulting physicians; HCP, healthcare physician; OBGYN, obstetricians and gynecologists; Sig, significance.

Each category was assigned alphabets a–k, and if a category was significantly different from any other category, it was marked by the respective category alphabet in parentheses.

#

Denotes statistically significantly higher proportion than the other respective categories mentioned in parenthesis. P-values < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.