How Lebanese adults perceive travel vaccinations: A single center study

Travel vaccination is an essential public health intervention aimed at reducing the transmission of infectious diseases among international travelers. This study sought to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the Lebanese population about travel vaccination. This cross sectional single center study was conducted at the Lebanese American University Medical Center-Rizk Hospital. A structured questionnaire was administered to visitors and patients presenting to the outpatient clinics and emergency department between January 2020 and January 2021. A total of 1023 participants completed the questionnaire with 69.5% reporting that they have traveled within the previous year. Among these travelers, 41.1% usually carried a first aid kit, and 76.4% took emergency medications with them. Half of the participants considered pretravel medical consultation important, and 76.8% were aware of pretravel vaccinations. Concerns about vaccine side effects were relatively low, reported by 27.3% of participants. Concerns regarding vaccine adverse effects were relatively uncommon, with only 27.3% expressing such concerns. Regarding strategies to improve awareness of travel medicine, most participants (74.2%) identified social media as the preferred platform. Lebanese adults demonstrated relatively good awareness of travel vaccination and generally positive attitudes toward vaccination; however, pretravel consultation and preventive practices remained suboptimal. Improved travel health practices were associated more strongly with knowledge of travel vaccination and preventive medications than with attitude alone. These findings underscore a gap between awareness and implementation of recommended travel health measures.