Rational, aims and objectives: Our study aims to assess attitudes, knowledge and influenza vaccine uptake of school teachers and the intention to uptake influenza vaccine as well as the COVID-19 vaccine and to identify factors associated with vaccine acceptance during the COVID-19 pandemic in Greece. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among school teachers in the area of Western Greece from June 2020 to August 2020. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed via an internet-based link along with an invitation email. Results: Responses from 399 participants were retrieved. 139 (34.8%) had received the annual influenza vaccine in the season 2019-2020 whereas 215 (53.9%) stated that they would get it in the forthcoming season 2020-202(p < 0.001). 152 (38.1%) intent to get the COVID-19 vaccine when available. For COVID-19 vaccine factors that were independently associated with the intention to uptake included more than 15 years at work (p=0.001), prior influenza vaccine uptake (p=0.003), believing that COVID 19 vaccine should be mandatory (p=0.04) and that school teachers are a high-risk group for COVID-19 (p=0.001). Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic appeared to have an impact on the intention of school teachers to get vaccinated for influenza. The low level of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance intention amongst the teachers in our cohort warrants further attention. Public health interventions should aim to increase knowledge on both influenza and COVID-19 and prevention of them via immunization in this particular at-risk population.

Background: A series of repeated questionnaire surveys among 8- and 9-year-old schoolchildren in the city of Patras, Greece, demonstrated a continuous rise in the prevalence of wheeze/asthma from 1978 to 2003, with a plateau between 2003 and 2008. We further investigated wheeze/asthma trends within the same environment during the last decade. Methods: Two further identical cross-sectional surveys were conducted in 2013 (N=2554) and 2018 (N=2648). Physician-diagnosed wheeze and asthma were analysed separately and in relation to their occurrence (recent-onset: solely within the last two years; non-current: prior to the last two years; persistent: both before and within the last two years). In addition, in 2018, spirometry was performed in participants reporting relevant symptoms and in a random sample of healthy controls. Results: The prevalence of current wheeze/asthma declined from 6.9% in 2008 to 5.2% in 2013 and 4.3% in 2018. The persistent and non-current wheeze/asthma groups (both including children with symptoms at preschool age) followed this overall trend, while the prevalence of recent-onset wheeze/asthma remained unchanged. Persistent and non-current wheezers were also more frequently diagnosed with asthma, in contrast to those with recent-onset wheeze. Children with recent-onset wheeze/asthma and a considerable fraction of those with persistent symptoms had lower lung function. Conclusions: The prevalence of childhood wheeze/asthma has declined significantly during the last decade in Greece. Our analysis suggests that the reversing trend is most likely attributed to changing asthma perceptions among physicians and/or parents, especially in the case of preschool children with troublesome respiratory symptoms.