A Cross-Sectional Study of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice on Adverse Event Following Immunization Among Interns at A Tertiary Care Institute

Background: Immunization is a highly successful and cost-effective public health intervention, but adverse events following immunization (AEFI), ranging from minor to rare serious reactions, may influence vaccine acceptance and confidence. Effective AEFI surveillance requires timely recognition, reporting, and management. Medical interns are crucial to the management of AEFI and vaccination services. This study aimed to assess knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) regarding AEFI among medical interns at a tertiary care institute.

Methods: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted in the Department of Pharmacology, MAPIMS, Tamil Nadu, over three months. A total of 110 medical interns were included. Data were collected using a pretested, structured questionnaire with 30 items across knowledge, attitude, and practice. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages were used.

Results: Most participants demonstrated satisfactory knowledge of AEFI occurrence and reporting mechanisms. All agreed that AEFI reporting is mandatory. While 94% recognized confidentiality in reporting, 79% incorrectly believed AEFI occurs only immediately after vaccination. Documentation of vaccine batch numbers was done by 83.6%, and 95.4% monitored patients’ post-vaccination.

Conclusion: Interns showed good overall KAP on AEFI, though misconceptions remained. Continuous education and structured training modules are needed to strengthen vaccine safety surveillance.