Assessing attitude, self-efficacy, and perceived risk toward seasonal influenza vaccination among primary care physicians in Qatar: A cross-sectional study

This cross-sectional study examined influenza-related attitude, self-efficacy and perceived risk among 190 primary health care physicians. Participants were predominantly male (over 50%), aged ≥45 years (55.7%), with one-third reporting chronic diseases. Most (96.3%) had prior influenza vaccination, though only 73.3% were vaccinated in the last season. While 87.9% endorsed vaccination for healthcare workers to ensure service continuity, only 37.4% supported mandatory policies. Notably, 46% believed healthcare professionals do not pose influenza transmission risks to patients. Self-efficacy for vaccination was strongly tied to time availability (73.7% agreement) and institutional vaccine provision (78.9%), with social support from colleagues (79.5%) and relatives (68.9%) further influencing adherence. Male physicians (87.5%) and those with ≥5 prior vaccine doses (88.6%) or recent vaccination (87.3%) reported higher self-efficacy, though chronic disease history showed no significant association. Risk perception disparities emerged: 94.2% acknowledged elevated occupational risk during epidemics, yet only 62.1% perceived personal risk. Similarly, 86.3% viewed influenza as dangerous for patients versus 64.2% for themselves. Higher perceived risk scores correlated with chronic disease history (84.5), prior vaccination (81.1), recent vaccination (82.8), and ≥5 vaccine doses (85.0). Information sources prioritized official health agencies (Ministry of Public Health: 59.5%; WHO/CDC: 56.3%), while traditional media were least utilized (7.9–21.1%). These findings highlight gaps between professional risk acknowledgment and personal risk mitigation, underscoring the need for targeted strategies to address vaccine hesitancy, improve access, and align perceptions with evidence-based practices in healthcare settings.