Abstract

KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE OF VACCINATION AMONG MEDICAL STUDENTS IN UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA

Dr. Pooja Agrawal*, Dr. Virendra Kushwaha, Dr. Harsh Vekaria, Dr. Pradeep Kumar, Dr. B. K. Shoraisham and Dr. Arka Das

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Abstract

Background: Knowledge of vaccination among medical professionals plays an important role and it is a must for their academics. However, there are gaps in knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) regarding immunization and the National immunization program. This study aimed to assess the level of knowledge of vaccination, attitudes, and practices among medical students at a teaching institute. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among the medical students at GSVM Medical College, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. A total of 178 students participated in the pretest and 128 in the post-test included. Results: Out of a total of 250 students, 178 (71.2%) responded in the pre-test while 128(51.2%) students gave responses during the post-test. Most of the students heard about the vaccination and the most common source of information was academic books (79.2%). Most of the study participants have good knowledge but their attitude & practices towards vaccination is low. Conclusions: The findings revealed that most of the study participants have good knowledge but attitudes & practices towards vaccination are low and diverse. It reflects the need for the integration of teaching with immunization hands-on training sessions and workshops into the curriculum is believed to be the most effective teaching-learning method.

Keywords: Knowledge, Attitude, Practices, Vaccination, Medical students.