Travel Vaccination Knowledge, Awareness, and Practice among academicians: A Descriptive - Cross-Sectional Study

Background: International travel can facilitate the geographic spread of infectious diseases. Academics are at risk of diseases because they often travel abroad for various reasons such as conferences, congresses, Erasmus, holidays, leisure, etc. Objectives:  This paper investigated travel vaccination knowledge, awareness, and practice among academicians. Method: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted at a public university in Türkiye, between March ۱ and May ۳۱, ۲۰۲۲. The sample consisted of ۲۴۳ academicians. Data were collected online using a personal information form and a Travel Vaccinations Knowledge, Awareness, and Action Questionnaire (TVKAAQ). The data were analyzed using numbers, percentages, and nonparametric tests such as Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis H tests. The analysis was interpreted at the ۹۵% confidence level and ۰.۰۵ error margin. Results: Less than half of the participants were ۲۵ to ۳۴ years old (۴۵.۱%) and had ۶ to ۱۰ years of work experience (۳۸.۷%). Most participants never received international travel (۹۳.۴%) and vaccine consultancy (۹۴.۷%). Participants who traveled more than five times a year had a significantly higher mean TVKAAQ score than those who traveled less than five times a year. Participants who were concerned about infectious diseases had a significantly higher mean TVKAAQ score than those who were not. Participants who believed travel vaccinations are required had a significantly higher mean TVKAAQ score than those who did not. Participants who were informed about vaccines had a significantly higher mean TVKAAQ score than those who were not. Conclusion: Academics have insufficient knowledge and awareness of travel vaccinations and rarely get them before traveling. In cooperation with the Turkish Ministry of Health and The Council of Higher Education, initiatives should be planned in the field of travel medicine for academicians.