Factors influencing influenza vaccination among childcare and education professionals: A nationwide survey (2023–2024)

Background

Influenza remains a major public health issue, leading to millions of severe cases and many deaths annually. Although educational and childcare institutions are key transmission points for the spread of the virus in communities, few studies have comprehensively examined the vaccination rates and their determinants in these settings.

Methods

We conducted a nationwide web-based survey to assess influenza knowledge, perceptions, and determinants of vaccine hesitancy based on the 5C model among childcare and educational professionals in Japan. Multivariable modified Poisson regression, machine learning method of classification and regression tree (CART), and network analysis were employed to identify factors influencing vaccination behavior.

Results

Influenza vaccination rates were 74.1 % in 2023 and 78.8 % in 2024. Younger age (RR, 1.33; 95 %CI, 1.04–1.70), perceived unnecessity (RR, 1.31; 95 %CI, 1.01–1.70), concerns over adverse reactions (RR, 1.57; 95 %CI, 1.23–2.01) were associated with consistent non-vaccination, while agreement with collective responsibility (RR, 0.02; 95 %CI, 0.01 to 0.06) and recognition of the importance of vaccination for infection prevention (RR, 0.77; 95 %CI, 0.62 to 0.95) served as protective factor. CART and network analyses further highlighted collective responsibility as the key determinant for receiving vaccination consistently among educational and childcare professionals.

Conclusions

Our study highlights that collective responsibility (willingness to get vaccinated to protect others) and specific hesitancy factors play a pivotal role in influenza vaccination uptake among childcare and educational professionals. Tailored public health strategies addressing these determinants may enhance vaccine coverage and reduce influenza transmission in high-risk settings.