Abstract
The objectives of this study were to evaluate the frequency of vaccine hesitancy against seasonal influenza and to analyze the associated factors among teachers in the municipal school system of Teresina, Piauí State, Brazil. An online questionnaire was applied, adapted from the Health Belief Model, and 449 teachers were included. Of the public interviewed, most live in the capital Teresina, (373, 83.26%), are women (360, 80.54%), aged between 23 and 50 years (306, 81.38%), born in the state of Piauí (382, 86.82%), brown (289, 64.65%), married (254, 56.70%) and with a lato sensu graduate degree (327, 72.99%). In total, 33.18% were considered hesitant, and hesitancy was defined as teachers who were not vaccinated against influenza in 2020. The variables associated with hesitancy in this group were: not being vaccinated against influenza in 2019, the flu vaccine is not convenient, there are many risks associated with it, and concern about reactions to the flu vaccine, the new coronavirus pandemic changed the relationship with the act of vaccinating and greater adherence to the vaccine after hearing information about its benefits in the media. However, in the regression analysis, only the variables "not being vaccinated against influenza in 2019" and "the change in behavior after the pandemic" were significant. Vaccines continue to be the main method of prevention and control of a series of diseases related to influenza viruses, requiring greater adherence by teachers, a priority population that is in constant contact with students from different backgrounds, representing an important source of virus dissemination.