Non-Mandatory Influenza Vaccination Rates among Healthcare Workers during the 2017–2018 Influenza Season: a Multicenter Study in Korea

Purpose: Annual influenza vaccination is the best strategy to prevent healthcare-associated influenza transmission. Influenza vaccination rates among healthcare workers (HCWs) vary by country, region, and year. We investigated the influenza vaccination rates for HCWs during the 2017–2018 influenza season in South Korea, where a non-mandatory vaccination campaign was conducted. Methods: We retrospectively investigated factors affecting the influenza vaccination rate among HCWs during the 2017–2018 influenza season in three tertiary hospitals in Goyang City, where the non-mandatory influenza vaccination program is conducted. Results: Consequently, 6,994 of 7,180 HCWs (97%) were included, and the overall vaccination rate was 85%. Nurses had the highest rate with 92%, followed by health technicians (88%), physicians (84%), and non-medical HCWs (79%, P