Aim
Scepticism and negative attitudes toward vaccination are growing, generating the risk of decreasing vaccination coverage, with potential impact on the individual and community. Our aim was to ...obtain the first reliable national assessment of attitudes regarding the effectiveness, safety, and importance of vaccination among Slovenia’s general population and explore their socio-demographic determinants.
Subject and methods
A cross-sectional survey was performed in a random sample of the general population. We used multivariable logistic regression analysis to identify factors independently associated with positive attitudes toward the effectiveness, safety, and importance of vaccination.
Results
In our survey, 8590 individuals aged 25–74 years participated; the overall response rate was 55%. Approximately two-thirds of participants expressed positive attitudes toward the effectiveness and importance of vaccination (64.9% and 67.6%, respectively). However, almost one-third (31.0%) of them expressed a fear of vaccination because of side effects. Two predictors for positive attitudes toward the effectiveness and importance of vaccination were higher social class and participation in preventive examinations. Factors associated with lower odds for a positive attitude toward the safety of vaccination included female sex, minors in the household, and average assessment of health status.
Conclusion
Our study contributed an important insight into the Slovenian attitude toward vaccination among the general population. It showed that there are some socio-demographic determinants that are related to attitudes regarding the effectiveness, safety, and importance of vaccination. There is a need to address public concerns regarding vaccination in order to increase and maintain optimal coverage rates by implementing comprehensive communication strategies.
We conducted the first nationwide survey in Slovenia to measure and characterise vaccine confidence among mothers of young children. This survey measured confidence in routine vaccines for children ...<2 years of age and in the information sources about these vaccinations to provide baseline data for public health actions to maintain and improve vaccination coverage.
We randomly selected women giving birth in 2014–15 from the national perinatal information system (N = 39,497). Participants were asked to rate statements measuring vaccine confidence, including confidence in their child’s paediatrician, the Slovenian healthcare system, and different paediatric vaccination information sources. We estimated vaccine confidence with 95% confidence intervals (CI), for seven socio-demographic characteristics for mothers with young children. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was used to assess correlations between vaccine confidence and the confidence in the health system or child's paediatrician.
We sent out 3854 questionnaires, the response rate was 44.4%. While 46.8% (95% CI: 44.4–49.2%) mothers were confident in vaccines, 34.2% (95% CI: 32.0–36.6%) were undecided. We found a correlation (Spearman's rho = 0.457) between vaccine confidence and confidence in the child’s paediatrician. Mothers that were confident in paediatrician were more likely to be confident in vaccines (odds ratio: 7.7; 95% CI: 5.3–11.3). Overall, the most frequently trusted information source were physicians (84.6%). In contrast, among mothers not at all confident in vaccines, 51.9% reported friends as the trusted information source.
More than half of mothers had low vaccine confidence or were undecided regarding their confidence. While vaccination coverage in Slovenia is high, these levels warrant public health intervention, particularly with the undecided mothers. Communication strategies should focus first on undecided parents and involve physicians, who for many are the most trusted vaccine information source. Different approaches will likely be required for those who are not at all confident in vaccines.
Vaccination against seasonal influenza is recommended for all healthcare workers including physicians in Slovenia to protect vulnerable individuals and reduce transmission of influenza viruses. The ...aim of our study is to determine the uptake of seasonal influenza vaccination among Slovenian physicians, to identify factors associated with that vaccination and assess their attitudes and beliefs regarding vaccination and vaccine-preventable diseases.
A cross-sectional survey was performed among physician members of the Slovenian Medical Chamber. The link to the anonymous web-based questionnaire was sent to 8,297 physicians. We estimated the overall proportion of physicians who vaccinate against influenza, while the possible associations with collected explanatory variables were explored in univariate analyses.
The response rate to the survey was 10.8%. 75.9% (95% CI: 73.1-78.7%) physicians vaccinate themselves against influenza (regularly or occasionally) and 24.1% (95% CI: 21.2-26.8%) do not vaccinate (not any more or never). In univariate analysis only, the area of work was statistically significant when associated with vaccinating against influenza (p=0.002). Among physicians who expressed some misconceptions regarding vaccination and vaccine-preventable diseases (it is better to overcome disease naturally as vaccines pose a higher risk than disease) the proportion of vaccinated against influenza was low (43.2%; 95% CI: 27.9-58.4%, 27.3%; 95% CI: 7.1-47.5%).
Not trusting in vaccination or professional recommendations regarding vaccination and some misconceptions regarding vaccination and vaccine-preventable diseases may influence the decision to be vaccinated against seasonal influenza among Slovenian physicians.
We estimated vaccine effectiveness (VE) against severe COVID-19 during October 2021, using Slovenian surveillance data. For people fully vaccinated with any vaccine in age groups 18-49, 50-64, ≥ 65 ...years, VE was 86% (95% CI: 79-90), 89% (85-91), and 77% (74-81). Among ≥ 65 year-olds fully vaccinated with mRNA vaccines, VE decreased from 93% (95% CI: 88-96) in those vaccinated ≤ 3 months ago to 43% (95% CI: 30-54) in those vaccinated ≥ 6 months ago, suggesting the need for early boosters.
Highlights • Data associating influenza B lineages variation are scarce. • Patients with influenza B Victoria and Yamagata lineages infection were compared. • No significant differences were ...identified in clinical presentation. • Frequency of influenza B Victoria and Yamagata infection was age dependent.
Highlights ► We surveyed a sample of 4431 Slovenian women 20–64 years old screened for cervical cancer. ► Prevalence of cervical infection with any hr-HPV type examined was 12.9%. ► Prevalence of ...cervical infection with HPV16 was 3.5% and with HPV18 was 1.0%. ► HPV16 prevalence was the highest (41.9%) in women with high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion. ► Our results provide baseline data for monitoring the impact of Slovenian HPV vaccination program.
Abstract The results of Slovenian surveillance system of AEFI which was in place for the early detection and investigation of rare adverse events were analysed. The reports about AEFI obtained from ...physicians, and self-assessment questionnaires from vaccinated persons showed predominantly non-serious and expected side effects. Nine reports (3%) included serious AEFI. No deaths consequent to vaccination were reported. A total of 1170 AEFI were reported by physicians and 1030 by self-assessment. Overall, the most commonly reported AEFI either by physicians or persons were local site reactions (37.3% and 50.5%), tiredness (11.9% and 6.8%) and fever or malaise (10.8% and 6.3%). More than 100,000 people were vaccinated with pandemic vaccines in Slovenia. The type and the frequency of AEFI detected through Slovenian AEFI surveillance system are comparable to the results from other surveillance systems. The benefit-risk balance for the pandemic vaccines used in Slovenia remains positive.
Summary
Background
In April 2013, an outbreak of acute gastroenteritis was reported in a residential long-term care facility (LTCF) in Ljubljana. We carried out an outbreak investigation to describe ...the outbreak, identify factors associated with contracting infection and to recommend control measures.
Methods
We conducted descriptive epidemiology of the outbreak and a case-control study among residents; a case was a resident or staff member of the LTCF with acute diarrhoea and at least one of the following symptoms: fever, vomiting, nausea, fatigue, headache and abdominal pain between 11 and 23 April 2013. Controls had no gastrointestinal symptoms during the outbreak period. Stool specimens were tested for enteric pathogens, including
Rotavirus
.
Results
Of 244, 33 (13.5 %) and 4 of 106 staff (3.8 %) were affected. Twenty-eight (84.8 %; median age 85 years; range 71–95 years) among affected residents and four (100 %; median age 35 years; range 30–45 years) among affected staff were women. The main symptoms besides acute diarrhoea were fatigue (54.1 %) and nausea (45.9 %). The average duration of gastroenteritis symptoms was 3.6 days in residents and 1.3 days in staff. None of the affected persons was hospitalized.
Rotavirus
group A was detected in a single stool specimen. In the multivariable analysis, being ambulant (aOR = 12.3; 95 % CI: 1.14–133.1), and having more than two comorbidities (aOR = 4.7; 95 % CI: 1.14–19.0) were significantly associated with acute gastroenterocolitis.
Conclusions
Contact precautions of affected persons and controlled staff interactions between outbreak ward and unaffected ward are recommended in times of outbreak, with additional effort in targeting mobile residents and those with comorbidities.
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