High vaccination coverage among healthcare workers (HCWs) is crucial for managing the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim was to determine the demand for vaccination among all employees (n = 4553) of a tertiary care hospital after several weeks of the vaccine’s availability, and to analyze motives for acceptance and reasons for hesitancy through an anonymous online questionnaire. Upon the completion of data collection, the hospital’s vaccination coverage was at 69.8%. A total of 3550 completed questionnaires were obtained (2657 from vaccinated, 893 from unvaccinated employees). Significant predictors of vaccine acceptance were: age (odds ratio (OR) 1.01, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01–1.02), sex (OR (females) 0.58, 95% CI 0.45–0.75), job type (OR (non-physician HCWs) 0.54, 95% CI 0.41–0.72; OR (non-HCWs) 0.51, 95% CI 0.37–0.71), fear of COVID-19 (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.34–1.46), history of COVID-19 (OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.34–0.49) and of influenza vaccination (OR 2.74, 95% CI 2.12–3.57). The most frequent motive for acceptance was the effort to protect family members (84%), while concerns about vaccine safety and side effects (49.4%), followed by distrust in the vaccine’s efficacy (41.1%) were the top reasons for hesitancy. To increase vaccination coverage among HCWs, it is necessary to raise awareness of vaccine safety and efficacy.

Post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PCS) is a multisystem disorder degrading the quality of life. The study determined characteristics and predictors of PCS in unvaccinated healthcare workers (HCWs) suff...

COVID-19 has led to an unprecedented strain on healthcare workers (HCWs). This study aimed to determine the prevalence of burnout in hospital employees during a prolonged pandemic-induced burden on healthcare systems. An online survey among employees of a Czech and Slovak university hospital was conducted between November 2021 and January 2022, approximately when the incidence rates peaked in both countries. The Maslach Burnout Inventory—Human Services Survey was applied. We obtained 807 completed questionnaires (75.1% from Czech employees, 91.2% from HCWs, 76.2% from women; mean age of 42.1 ± 11 years). Burnout in emotional exhaustion (EE) was found in 53.2%, depersonalization (DP) in 33%, and personal accomplishment (PA) in 47.8% of respondents. In total, 148 (18.3%) participants showed burnout in all dimensions, 184 (22.8%) in two, and 269 (33.3%) in at least one dimension. Burnout in EE and DP (65% and 43.7%) prevailed in physicians compared to other HCWs (48.6% and 28.8%). Respondents from COVID-19-dedicated units achieved burnout in the EE and DP dimensions with higher rates than non-frontline HCWs (58.1% and 40.9% vs. 49.9% and 27.7%). Almost two years of the previous overloading of healthcare services, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulted in the relatively high prevalence of burnout in HCWs, especially in physicians and frontline HCWs.

Due to the limited availability of COVID-19 vaccines, occupational groups with priority access were identified prior to vaccination. The study aimed to analyze motives for vaccination in these occupational groups. Methods: Members of occupational groups, who were vaccinated at the vaccination center of University Hospital Olomouc before 30 April 2021, were asked to fill in an online questionnaire. Results: A total of 3224 completed questionnaires were obtained from 1332 healthcare workers, 1257 school employees, 363 social service workers, 210 security force members, and 62 critical infrastructure workers. The most frequent motive for vaccination was the effort to protect family members (76.2%), the effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in one’s profession (72.3%), followed by concerns about COVID-19 itself (49.1%) and exemptions from anti-epidemic measures (36.8%). Only for social services, the motive focused on one’s profession was mentioned more often (75.2%) than the motive focused on the family (71.1%). At the level of detailed profession-oriented motives, a collegial effort of security force members to protect co-workers and not to endanger the workplace was dominant. Conclusions: The effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the professional environment is a strong motive for vaccination, and strongest among social service workers.

Protection of healthcare workers (HCWs) against influenza is essential for patient health and a functional health system. The study aimed to analyze the demand for seasonal influenza vaccination (SIV) among various groups of HCWs in a tertiary care hospital before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify their motives for this season’s SIV. Before this influenza season (2020/21), the hospital management offered free SIV to all HCWs and promoted it on the internal network. Out of 4,167 HCWs, 630 HCWs expressed interest in SIV and were vaccinated in the hospital. They filled in a total of 603 self-administered pen-and-paper questionnaires. The mean age of the respondents (374 females and 229 males) was 45 ± 12 years. Physicians accounted for 48% of the vaccinated persons but for only 24% (p < .001) of all HCWs to whom SIV was offered. Only 16% of respondents vaccinated this year also received SIV before the last season (2019/20), with the proportion of physicians (19%) being statistically significantly higher than that of non-physicians (13%, p = .045) and the proportion of chronically ill HCWs (22%) being higher than that of healthy individuals (13%, p = .004). Most frequently, respondents’ motivation to get vaccinated this year was self-protection (61%), that is concerns about contracting influenza together with COVID-19 or alone, followed by family protection (58%) and patient protection (53%). In conclusion, COVID-19 contributed to an increased demand for SIV among HCWs and the threat of contracting it together with influenza was the most frequent motive.

Purpose: Occupational asbestos exposure was widespread before regulatory bans, and it remains a risk during renovations or demolitions of older buildings. While asbestos-related diseases are well-documented, less is known about minor radiological changes in exposed individuals. This longitudinal study aimed to identify predictors of pleural and parenchymal lung disorders in individuals with previous occupational asbestos exposure, focusing on both established asbestos-related diseases and minor radiological abnormalities. Methods: The study tracked 445 former employees (334 men, 111 women) of two Czech asbestos-processing plants, who underwent regular examinations from the 1980s to December 2022. Cox proportional hazards regression models were employed to analyse predictors of asbestos-related diseases, as well as minor radiological findings alone. Results: Over a median latency of 37 years, 127 participants (28.5%) developed asbestos-related diseases, mainly pleural mesothelioma (59 cases). An additional 168 participants (37.8%) exhibited minor radiological findings, predominantly pleural plaques (129 cases), while 150 (33.7%) had no abnormalities. Substantial cumulative exposure was a strong predictor for minor radiological findings (odds ratio [OR] 1.98, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.18–3.35, p = 0.010) and any endpoint, including diseases (OR 1.89, 95% CI 1.18–3.02, p = 0.008). Respiratory symptoms and impaired spirometry results significantly increased the likelihood of endpoint occurrence. No significant differences emerged between settings with predominantly chrysotile exposure and those with a chrysotile-crocidolite mixture. Conclusion: This study highlights the predictive value of cumulative exposure and the need for ongoing surveillance of occupationally exposed individuals to better understand radiological changes, their significance, and to refine risk assessment models.