Attitudes and Practices Regarding the Seasonal Influenza Vaccine in Students from Medical College “Yordanka Filaretova”, Sofia

Abstract

The influenza vaccine provides effective protection against seasonal flu, helping to reduce the risk of infection, severe illness, and complications. This study analysed attitudes, awareness, and practices related to the seasonal influenza vaccine among students at the Medical College "Yordanka Filaretova" in Sofia. A voluntary and anonymous survey was conducted with 97 students from the Medical Laboratory Technician programme and 54 from the Public Health Inspector programme, resulting in 84 completed responses. More than half of the respondents (62.0%) believe that young, healthy individuals do not need the vaccine, while 63.1% expressed concerns about potential side effects. A total of 11.9% respondents consider the vaccine ineffective, and 34.5% could not form an opinion on its effectiveness; 26.2% indicated they would get vaccinated if it were free, and 28.6% reported a lack of information about the vaccine. Increased awareness of the importance of the influenza vaccine and its benefits is crucial for benefit/risk assessment.