During the 2009 flu pandemic, all frontline UK healthcare workers were encouraged to have both the seasonal and swine flu vaccines. Analysis of six national telephone surveys conducted in the run-up to the UK's swine flu vaccination campaign showed that NHS workers were no more likely to accept the swine flu vaccine than non-NHS workers (55.6% versus 52.4% respectively), although they were more likely to accept the seasonal flu vaccine (38.8% versus 22.6%). Reasons for non-acceptance were similar for both vaccines: low perceived personal benefits together with safety and efficacy concerns. Addressing these factors may improve uptake in future vaccination campaigns.
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