Risk perception of infection, knowledge, attitudes and practices towards COVID-19 and influenza vaccination, and validation of vaccination status among healthcare workers in EU/EEA countries

In preventing and controlling the spread of COVID-19 and influenza, the vaccination of hospital staff plays a central role in public health measures. However, the effectiveness of vaccination programs depends not only on the availability of vaccines but also on how people behave and whether their behavior changes. This, in turn, is influenced by each individual's perception of risks, their knowledge of vaccination, their attitudes towards it, and their existing habits. Although vaccination is extremely important, we have surprisingly little information in the European Union and the European Economic Area countries about what hospital staff actually know about influenza and COVID-19 vaccination, how they feel about it, and what their actual vaccination practices are. However, this data is essential for us to better prepare for future pandemics. Once we have the knowledge, we can plan effective behavioral interventions specifically in these countries. Therefore, the main goal of the planned research is to gain clarity among hospital staff. Firstly, we want to know what their knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to influenza and COVID-19 vaccination are. Secondly, it is important to assess how they perceive the risk of contracting COVID-19 and influenza, and how serious they consider these diseases to be. Thirdly, we want to verify whether the information provided by hospital staff themselves about their vaccination is reliable. In addition to these primary objectives, we also have secondary objectives. We want to identify the factors that influence hospital staff's intention to get vaccinated against influenza and COVID-19. We also want to investigate whether their perceived susceptibility to the diseases and their understanding of the severity of the diseases play a role in their vaccination decisions