Influenza vaccination in healthcare workers: comparison of side effects and preferred route of administration of intradermal versus intramuscular administration

Objective: To explore the nature and severity of side effects and future preference of intradermal versus intramuscular influenza vaccination in healthcare workers. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: Two University Medical Centers in The Netherlands. Participants: Healthcare workers receiving an influenza vaccination. Methods: Healthcare workers that were vaccinated during the influenza vaccination season of 20122013 were approached for participation in a questionnaire study. The questionnaire was divided into two parts. The first part had to be answered directly after vaccination and the second part two weeks after vaccination. The motivation for vaccine uptake, whether or not the HCWs had direct contact with patients and the prevalence and severity of local and systemic side effects of influenza vaccination were explored. In addition, it was assessed how participants experienced the vaccination and which type of administration they preferred for future vaccination. Results: Side effects of vaccination were more prevalent in the intradermal group versus the intramuscular group (56% versus 26%, p Conclusions: This study shows that there are significant differences in the nature and severity of side effects upon intramuscular and intradermal influenza vaccination. This difference did not result in a preference among the vaccinated subjects for one type of vaccine. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved