VACCINATION SCHEDULE FOR HEALTHCARE WORKERS AGAINST COVID-19, HEPATITIS B, AND TETANUS AT THE “NIÑOS DE ACOSTA ÑU” GENERAL PEDIATRIC HOSPITAL, FROM MARCH TO APRIL 2023

Abstract

Introduction: Infectious diseases constitute an important risk for healthcare personnel during the performance of their professional activities. However, in many cases, these diseases can be effectively prevented through systematic and preventive vaccination. Objective: To determine the frequency of healthcare personnel vaccinated against COVID-19, hepatitis B, and tetanus at the General Pediatric Hospital “Niños de Acosta Ñu” from March to April 2023. Methodology: A descriptive, non-experimental, quantitative, cross-sectional, and prospective study was conducted. The variables analyzed were age, sex, place of residence, length of employment, professional category, compliance with the vaccination schedule, occurrence of disease, type of disease, disease severity, and perception of vaccines. Data were collected using a digital Google Forms questionnaire, subsequently entered into Microsoft Excel 2016, and statistically analyzed using SPSS, version 21. The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee. Results: The mean age was 33 years (±5.5). Of the total participants, 83.1% (212/255) were female. Regarding place of residence, 57.3% (146/255) were from the Central Department. The median length of employment was 5 years (1–21). Regarding COVID-19 vaccination, 45.5% had completed the vaccination schedule, whereas 55.5% had an incomplete schedule. For hepatitis B, 85.9% (219/255) had completed the vaccination schedule. Regarding tetanus vaccination, 96.5% (246/255) had completed the vaccination schedule. Overall, 83.5% of the participants reported having contracted COVID-19, while 16.5% had not contracted the disease. Conclusion: The frequency of healthcare personnel at the General Pediatric Hospital “Niños de Acosta Ñu” with a complete COVID-19 vaccination schedule was low (45.5%), whereas the frequency of complete vaccination against hepatitis B (85.9%) and tetanus (96.5%) was high.