Acceptance of and preference for COVID-19 vaccination in healthcare workers: a comparative analysis and discrete choice experiment.. [PMID: 0 DOI: 10.1101/2020.04.09.20060103]

Public Preference for Financing Preventive Vaccines in Health Shocks: The Case of COVID-19 Vaccines in a Middle-Income Country

BACKGROUND

To effectively manage health crises such as disease pandemics, health authorities require reliable information regarding people's preferences. This helps to ensure timely and targeted interventions and avoids increasing societal costs through developing evidence-based policies. This study investigates the Iranian people's preference for financing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines and the factors affecting this.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was performed during the third-wave peak of COVID-19 in Iran from 1 to 20 February 2021 utilizing various data collection methods. The public preference regarding imported and domestically produced vaccines, their willingness to fully or partially contribute to the financing of these vaccines, and their willingness to pay (WTP) for domestically produced vaccines using the contingent valuation method was assessed in different scenarios. The determinants of the probability of positive financing preferences were evaluated using an ordered probit regression model.

RESULTS

Among the 2071 survey respondents, approximately 60% stated willingness to contribute to vaccine financing in the form of partial or full user fee payments. Forty percent of respondents are willing to be vaccinated if it is provided for free by the government. Interestingly, people's preference for financing the vaccine was not related to the type of vaccine. The regression analysis showed that income, having supplementary insurance, being male, perceived COVID-19 risk, education, and working in the health sector are significantly related to a higher probability of contribution to vaccine financing.

CONCLUSIONS

Regardless of country of origin of COVID-19 vaccines, vaccination is very important for the Iranian people, and the majority of respondents in our study showed an inclination to contribute to vaccine funding, from partial to full user fees, to achieve higher protection against COVID-19 disease. Hence, ensuring timely access to vaccines during health crises such as pandemics is imperative, as it saves lives and reduces the economic burden of disease. This commitment from the health system can be supported by financial contributions from the general public. In this regard, considering public preferences is strongly advised to policymakers.

Freebie Seekers or Desperate Buyers? An Analysis of Willingness to Pay for COVID-19 Vaccine in Türkiye

The aim of the study is to determine the level of price that individuals living in Türkiye are willing to pay (WTP) for a hypothetical COVID-19 vaccine. In addition, the study also aims to identify the socioeconomic factors affecting that level of WTP. The data is collected via a virtually applied questionnaire. Probit estimations are employed to determine the level of price that is willing to be paid. Further, the socioeconomic factors affecting the revealed WTP level are identified with an ordered-probit estimation strategy. The average price level that the participants are willing to pay for two doses of a hypothetical COVID-19 vaccine which immunes for 12 months is ₺316.93 ($42.66). Higher education groups, public employees, married people, and urban individuals are more likely to pay at higher price levels of hypothetical COVID-19 vaccine. Interestingly, the individuals living with a pregnant woman or a baby, the ones who experienced severe COVID-19 disease and the ones who already decided to be vaccinated are more likely to pay at relatively low-price levels. This study may contribute to broader literature as it will provide evidence from Türkiye for international comparisons.

Misinformation, knowledge and COVID-19 vaccine acceptance: a cross-sectional study among health care workers and the general population in Kampala, Uganda

COVID-19 has greatly affected communities worldwide, more so in low- and middle-income countries. To successfully resolve the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccination coverage of more than 80% is required. However, misinformation has affected this by increasing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Limited studies have assessed the effect of COVID-19 misinformation on vaccine acceptance, especially in Africa. This study assessed people's knowledge of the COVID-19 vaccine and the effect of misinformation on vaccine uptake among healthcare workers (HCWs) versus the general population in Uganda. Methods This was a cross-sectional quantitative study conducted from January 2022 to June 2022, and involved healthcare workers (HCWs) and the general population of Kampala, Uganda. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data. We recruited 564 study participants, including 311 healthcare workers (HCWs) and 253 from the general population. Data were analyzed using frequency distributions and Chi-square tests. SPSS version 22.0 was used to conduct all study analyses. Results This study revealed that the proportion of vaccinated HCWs (77.4%) was significantly higher than that of the vaccinated general population (64.4%, p = 0.010). Nearly all study participants were aware of COVID-19 vaccines (96.7%). The research revealed that a large proportion of the participants (89.7%) encountered rumors regarding unverified adverse effects of the COVID-19 vaccine. This information significantly contributed to vaccine hesitancy, with 81.1% expressing reluctance to receive the vaccine, and 55% stating their unwillingness to get vaccinated. Misinformation affected people's vaccine acceptance, affecting their willingness to receive vaccines if unvaccinated and potentially influencing their receptiveness to future vaccines or boosters if already vaccinated.  Conclusions The study showed a negative impact of misinformation on vaccine uptake and could be the most significant contributor to vaccine hesitancy in future vaccine programs.

Impact of leisure satisfaction on perceived risk of infectious disease during the COVID-19 pandemic: evidence from new worker classes

Introduction

This study examines how job market changes affect individuals' leisure choices and satisfaction, focusing on worker classes that have undergone daily life changes (e.g., economic and social activities) due to the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Methods

A population-based cross-sectional study design was employed. South Korean workers aged 20-59 years answered an online survey administered from September 14 to October 4, 2021. Ultimately, 764 responses were used in the analysis. The measures used in this study consisted of factors affecting infectious disease risk perception and leisure satisfaction among the six new worker classes that emerged during the pandemic, according to socio-demographic status.

Results

The results showed that among male participants, social, emotional, physical, environmental, and educational factors of leisure satisfaction were more strongly affected, with higher social, physical, and interpersonal relationships being factors in the perception of infectious disease risk. Among female participants, the interpersonal relationship factor of perceived risk was significantly affected by the social, emotional, and educational factors of leisure satisfaction. Interpersonal relationships, affected leisure satisfaction among members of Classes 1-3, who experienced no change in pay. However, for the members of Class6 who experienced a decrease in pay, the economic factor negatively affected leisure satisfaction and played a pivotal role in our findings.

Conclusion

This study verified the risk factors that inhibit leisure satisfaction among new worker classes that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the psychological health of people suffering pandemic-related financial constraints was affected, as they experienced a lower quality of life owing to reduced leisure activities and satisfaction.

Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine and associated factors among healthcare workers in Katsina state: a cross-sectional study in Northwest Nigeria

OBJECTIVES

Healthcare workers were prioritised to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Nigeria. Administration of COVID-19 vaccination in Nigeria was challenging because of a lack of trust in vaccine safety and vaccine effectiveness among healthcare workers, who are expected to provide reliable information about vaccines and vaccine-preventable diseases in the communities. Hence, their acceptance and attitudes towards COVID-19 preventive practices could influence the acceptance of the vaccine by the local population. This cross-sectional study assessed the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine among healthcare workers in Katsina State. We predicted the variables that increased the vaccine acceptance using logistic regression analysis.

SETTING

This hospital-based study was conducted at primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities in Nigeria.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 793 healthcare workers were included in this study. Of these, 65.4% (n=519) were male.

OUTCOME MEASURES

To assess acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine measures, and factors increasing acceptance among healthcare workers.

RESULTS

Of the healthcare workers, 80% (638) were tested for the SARS-CoV-2, of whom 10.8% (n=65) tested positive. Approximately 97% (n=765) of them believed that the COVID-19 vaccine was safe, and 90% (n=714) received the first dose of the vaccine. Healthcare workers between 30 and 39 years were more likely to accept the vaccine (aOR: 7.06; 95% CI 2.36 to 21.07; p<0.001). Those who had been tested for COVID-19 were more likely (aOR:7.64; 95% CI 3.62 to 16.16; p<0.001) to accept the vaccine.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings showed that the age and prior COVID-19 testing were the main factors influencing the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine. There was high acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine among healthcare workers in Katsina State, Nigeria. Future studies should focus on the completion of doses and serological testing for immunity.

Correlates of COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance and Hesitancy in Rural Communities in Western Kenya

Vaccine hesitancy is a significant global public health concern. This study sought to determine the correlates of acceptance and hesitancy regarding COVID-19 vaccines in rural populations of selected counties in Western Kenya and assess the strategies that can be used to improve COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in Kenya. The study used a quantitative research strategy with a sample of 806 individuals in the Kisumu, Vihiga, and Kakamega counties. Descriptive statistics, correlations and regression analyses were used. Of the 806 study participants, 55% were males and 45% females. Vaccine acceptance was significantly associated with being a male (AOR: 1.46, 95% CI: 1.24-1.59, p < 0.031), having no formal education (AOR: 2.25, 95% CI: 1.16-4.40, p < 0.02), working in the private sector (AOR: 5.78, 95% CI: 3.28-10.88 p < 0.02), and have low income (KES 0-999 (USD 0-9.16)), (AOR: 2.35, 95% CI: 1.13-3.47, p < 0.02). Conclusions: The current study suggests that male gender, no formal education, working in the private sector, and low income KES 0-999 (USD 0-9.6) are significant factors influencing awareness of and possible acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination.

Volatility of the COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy: sentiment analysis conducted in Brazil

Background

Vaccine hesitancy is a phenomenon that can interfere with the expansion of vaccination coverage and is positioned as one of the top 10 global health threats. Previous studies have explored factors that affect vaccine hesitancy, how it behaves in different locations, and the profile of individuals in which it is most present. However, few studies have analyzed the volatility of vaccine hesitancy.

Objective

Identify the volatility of vaccine hesitancy manifested in social media.

Methods

Twitter's academic application programming interface was used to retrieve all tweets in Brazilian Portuguese mentioning the COVID-19 vaccine in 3 months (October 2020, June 2021, and October 2021), retrieving 1,048,576 tweets. A sentiment analysis was performed using the Orange software with the lexicon Multilingual sentiment in Portuguese.

Results

The feelings associated with vaccine hesitancy were volatile within 1 month, as well as throughout the vaccination process, being positioned as a resilient phenomenon. The themes that nurture vaccine hesitancy change dynamically and swiftly and are often associated with other topics that are also affecting society.

Conclusion

People that manifest the vaccine hesitancy present arguments that vary in a short period of time, what demand that government strategies to mitigate vaccine hesitancy effects be agile and counteract the expressed fear, by presenting scientific arguments.

Barriers and Facilitators of COVID-19 Vaccination Outreach Program in Rural India: A Qualitative Study

Background Primary health centres are in charge of effectively implementing the COVID-19 vaccination program in rural areas. So, the study was planned to seek insight into the challenges faced by health personnel in the effective implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination program. Methodology The study was conducted in a rural area of Akola district which lies in the western parts of Maharashtra State and belongs to the Vidarbha region and is said to be one of the progressive districts in the region. A qualitative study was planned to understand the barriers and facilitators of the COVID-19 vaccine implementation program at rural and tribal areas. The study participants were medical officers from rural and tribal areas who actively planned and implemented COVID-19 vaccination at the primary health centre. A total of 30 medical officers were interviewed. Interview questions were focussed on the planning of COVID-19 vaccination in their area. Other questions were the problem faced during the implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination program and how it has been tackled. Results The factors identified were grouped into three groups: Health system factors, Human resource factors and Community level factors. Health system factors like shortage of vaccines and syringes, tablet paracetamol, online digital method of vaccination registration, overcrowding at the initial stage, and inadequate infrastructure were barriers to vaccination. Fear about vaccine adverse events, even in healthcare workers (HCWs), and overburdened healthcare workers were also factors affecting vaccination. At the community level, high resistance initially and misconception about the vaccine, and also the fear about post-vaccination side effects have an impact on the COVID-19 vaccination program in rural and tribal areas. Conclusion The successful vaccination rate among the population needs community leadership and a community-centred approach when conducting outreach and strengthening primary health care in terms of infrastructure, manpower, and capacity building of healthcare staff.

Maternal COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among Malaysian pregnant women: A multicenter cross-sectional study

Introduction

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused a global pandemic that resulted in devastating health, economic and social disruption. Pregnant mothers are susceptible to COVID-19 complications due to physiological and immunity changes in pregnancy. We aimed to assess the maternal vaccine acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Methods

A multi-center study across four teaching hospitals in the Klang Valley, Malaysia was conducted between September 2021 and May 2022. A survey was conducted using a self-administered electronic questionnaire. The survey instruments included; (1) maternal perception and attitude toward COVID-19 vaccination, (2) COVID-19 pregnancy-related anxiety, and 3) generalized anxiety disorder.

Results

The response rate was 96.6%, with a final number for analysis of 1,272. The majority of our women were Malays (89.5%), with a mean age (standard deviation, SD) of 32.2 (4.6). The maternal vaccine acceptance in our study was 77.1%. Household income (p < 0.001), employment status (p = 0.011), and health sector worker (p = 0.001) were independent predictors of maternal willingness to be vaccinated. COVID-19 infection to self or among social contact and greater COVID-19 pregnancy-related anxiety were associated with increased odds of accepting the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. Women who rely on the internet and social media as a source of vaccine information were more likely to be receptive to vaccination (adjusted odd ratio, AOR 1.63; 95% CI 1.14-2.33). Strong correlations were observed between maternal vaccine acceptance and the positive perception of (1) vaccine information (p < 0.001), (2) protective effects of vaccine (p < 0.001), and (3) getting vaccinated as a societal responsibility (p < 0.001).

Discussion

The high maternal vaccine acceptance rate among urban pregnant women in Malaysia is most likely related to their high socio-economic status. Responsible use of the internet and social media, alongside appropriate counseling by health professionals, is essential in reducing vaccine hesitancy among pregnant women.

Adverse events reported after first dose of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in the Northern Region of Ghana

AIM

The study examined the associated adverse events following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination among healthcare workers during the first dose of the vaccine in the Northern Region of Ghana.

DESIGN

The study was a cross-sectional survey involving 463 healthcare workers.

METHOD

The data were collected using a structured questionnaire. The data were analysed descriptively, and binary logistics was performed using SPSS version 25.

RESULTS

The mean age was 33.4 ± 9.7 years, the majority (43.6%) being ≤30 years and males (57.2%). The self-reported prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine adverse events was 75.5%. Common systemic adverse events comprised headache (47.5%), dizziness (18.4%) and local adverse events included generalized body pains (44.0%) and abscess around the injection sites (11.2%). The study found a high prevalence of self-reported SARS-CoV-2 vaccine adverse events involving both systemic and local adverse events. Our study gives useful information that can be used for public health-targeted interventions to boost public confidence in SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.

Factors Associated with COVID-19 Vaccination Acceptance Among Muslim High School Students in Jakarta Metropolitan Area, Indonesia

Purpose

This study aims to identify the factors associated with COVID-19 vaccination uptake and the intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine among Muslim high school students in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Patients and Methods

A cross-sectional study using an online survey was conducted for high school students. The population in this study were Muslim students grade 11 and 12 at secondary high school living and studying in Jakarta Metropolitan area. A total of 440 samples have been selected using non-probability sampling. In this study, the independent variables were factors associated with vaccination behaviors that were derived from the HBM and TPB theories, while the dependent variables were vaccination uptake and vaccination intention. Factors associated with the dependent variables have been identified using chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests.

Results

About 65% respondents had received COVID-19 vaccine and 72% of those who had not received COVID-19 vaccine had the intention to receive the vaccine. Some of the behavioral model variables such as the perceived susceptibility score, perceived severity score, perceived benefits score, perceived barriers score, self-efficacy score, attitude score, and social norms score were significantly associated with COVID-19 vaccine uptake among high school students. Furthermore, all of the behavioral model variables, ie, perceived susceptibility score, perceived severity score, perceived benefits score, perceived barriers score, cues to action score, self-efficacy score, attitude score, social norms score, and perceived behavioral control score were significantly associated with an intention of being vaccinated.

Conclusion

The vaccination for students can be set in more affordable locationsfor example, in schools. In addition, efforts to increase student knowledge regarding the effectiveness and safety of vaccines and the dangers of COVID-19 should be sustained.

COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy among Health Professional Students: Cross-Sectional Data from the First Wave of the HOLISTIC Cohort Study

Vaccine hesitancy has been observed around the world, but there is a paucity of data among a broad range of U.S. health professional students. The goal of this report is to present findings about COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among a cross-section of U.S. health professional students and determine if hesitancy varies by demographic characteristics, health science college, and other factors. A cross-sectional analysis of HOLISTIC Cohort Study participants enrolled from April 14 2021 to May 5 2021 at seven health sciences colleges in the University of Illinois Chicago was used. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were used to evaluate vaccine hesitancy items and identify domains. Among 555 health professional students, three domains (perceived benefit, trustworthiness, and risk) contribute to vaccine hesitancy. Significant differences were observed in the domains among students of different races as well as vaccination history. Compared to students in the College of Medicine, students in the Colleges of Applied Health Science (OR 0.43; CI [0.19–0.96]), Pharmacy (OR 0.38; CI [0.17–0.87]), Nursing (OR 0.35; CI [0.16–0.78]), and Social Work (OR 0.30; CI [0.11–0.78]) reported lower perceived benefit. Compared to students in the College of Medicine, students in the College of Applied Health Sciences (OR 0.39; CI [0.17–0.94]), Dentistry (OR 0.27; CI [0.10–0.76]), Nursing (OR 0.38; CI [0.16–0.94]), and Social work (OR 0.31; CI [0.11–0.86]) reported more trustworthiness and more concerns about risk (OR 2.80; CI [1.15–6.81] for College of Applied Health Sciences, OR 9.12; CI [2.80–29.75] for Dentistry, OR 3.77; CI [1.47–9.65] for Nursing, OR 3.14; CI [1.02–9.67] for Social Work). Our findings suggest the need for a tailored vaccination strategy among different subgroups of health professional students.

Public Preferences and Willingness to Pay for a COVID-19 Vaccine in Iran: A Discrete Choice Experiment

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a major international threat and vaccination is the most robust strategy to terminate this crisis. It is helpful for policymakers to be aware of community preferences about vaccines. The present study aims to investigate the public's preferences and willingness to pay for the COVID-19 vaccine in Iran.

METHODS

This research is a cross-sectional study performed using a discrete choice experiment for a sample of the public population of several provinces of Iran in 2021. The samples were divided into two groups: one group expressed their preferences regarding the vaccine's attributes, and another group expressed their preferences regarding prioritizing individuals to get the vaccine. The discrete choice experiment design included five attributes including effectiveness, risk of severe complications, price, location of vaccine production, and duration of protection related to preferences for vaccine selection and six attributes including age, underlying diseases, employment in the healthcare sector, the rate of virus spread, the necessary job, and cost to the community related to preferences for prioritizing individuals to get the vaccine. A total of 715 individuals completed the questionnaire. The conditional logit regression model was used to analyze the discrete choice experiment data. Willingness to pay for each attribute was also calculated.

RESULTS

The willingness to pay for the COVID-19 vaccine with 90% (70%) efficacy, the risk of severe complications for 1 (5) person per one million people, imported (domestic) vaccine, and 24-month (12-month) duration of protection attributes was about US$71 (US$37). The preference for vaccination for respondents was enhanced by increasing the efficacy and the duration of vaccine protection and decreasing complications and costs. The likelihood of prioritizing individuals to get a vaccination was increased for a person with an underlying disease, employment in the healthcare sector, the necessary job for the community, the high potential for virus spread in the community, and the high cost of death to the community. The age variable was not statistically significant for prioritizing individuals to get the vaccine.

CONCLUSIONS

In the setting of the COVID-19 vaccination program, the public's preferences identified in this study should be considered. The obtained results provide useful information for policymakers to identify individual and social values for an appropriate vaccination strategy.

Determinants of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in healthcare workers in Iran: National Survey

BACKGROUND AND AIM

It seems that acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination is the most effective way to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic now. Health care workers (HCWs) are one of the most important groups who are at risk for COVID-19 infection. This study aimed to assess the COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among HCWs in Iran and its determinants.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was carried out among 3600 HCWs in Iran. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire by a trained team from February to March 2021. Multi-stage cluster sampling method was used for selecting respondents of the study. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the key factors of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among participants. P-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

Out of the 3536 respondents, 2191 (62.1%) intended to uptake the COVID-19 vaccine. Only about 10 percent of respondents said they did not trust any vaccine (domestic or foreign). Willing to accept a COVID-19 vaccine was relatively high among males, doctors, and those who had a history of hospitalization due to COVID-19 infection. The multivariate regression analysis showed respondents who were 40-50 years (aOR: 1.56; 95% CI: 1.47-1.66), had a history of COVID-19 infection (aOR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.83-0.88), and hospitalized due to COVID-19 infection (aOR: 2.18; 95% CI: 1.97-2.39), were significantly associated with vaccine acceptance (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Our study showed moderate acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination in the HCWs in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The most important factor in the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine by the health staff is having a history of hospitalization. Further training and justification of health personnel is needed to increase the acceptance of COVID 19 vaccine.

The Willingness of the Healthcare Professionals Working in Healthcare Institutions to Accept the First Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine in Jordan: A National Survey

Health workers play an important part as role models, advocates for vaccination, vaccinators and educators in a community. Furthermore, they are at high risk of being infected with COVID-19 as they are on the frontlines. Thus, this study purposed to determine the willingness of the healthcare professionals working in healthcare institutions to accept the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine in Jordan. A cross-sectional design and a convenience-sampling method were used to recruit the study population from different healthcare sectors. A web-based survey was used to collect data. Findings showed that 1594 healthcare professionals responded and 74% of them were aged less than 45 years. Almost 65% of the respondents were registered nurses and 68.4% of them were married. A total of 94.9% of the participants heard about the COVID-19 vaccine, but only 56.5% of them had had the opportunity to attend lectures/discussions about COVID-19 vaccine. Official government websites were the primary source of obtaining information about COVID-19 (36.3%). The willingness of acceptance rate of COVID-19 vaccine was 63%. There were positive correlations between vaccine acceptance and compliance toward COVID-19 infection control precautions (r = 0.119, p < 0.01), knowledge about COVID-19 (r = 0.256, p < 0.01), age (r = 0.170, p < 0.01), and years of experience (r = 0.105, p < 0.01). Furthermore, age, knowledge, and compliance were significant predictors of the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine. Thus, it is necessary to develop specific interventions for healthcare professionals with low acceptance rates and take into consideration the predictors of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. Further research is needed to explore the factors influencing the refusal of the COVID-19 vaccine by healthcare professionals.

Will People Accept a Third Booster Dose of the COVID-19 Vaccine? A Cross-Sectional Study in China

Objective

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines are considered to be an effective way to prevent the spread of the infection. Our previous study has shown that about 75% of healthcare workers (HCWs) in China were willing to receive the vaccine when it became available. Here, we examined the acceptance of a third booster dose among Chinese people and identified the influencing factors.

Methods

A cross-sectional online survey was conducted and the snowball sampling method was utilized. An online questionnaire was provided to all the participants in the form of a quick response (QR) code. The questionnaire included general demographic information, views on vaccines, the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). The univariate analysis was done between all the variables and our dependent variable. Then, we used the multivariate logistic regression model to examine the influencing factors of the third booster dose acceptance.

Results

We collected 1,062 complete answers. Of these, 90.39% (n = 960) declared that they would accept the booster dose. Knowing more about the vaccine and recognizing the efficacy of vaccines were significantly associated with greater acceptance of the booster dose. People willing to take the booster dose had better psychological health. A belief that the booster dose could prevent severe infection caused by COVID-19 and enhance the effectiveness of the first two doses were the main contributing factors to vaccine acceptance. Vaccine hesitancy was mainly due to a low perceived risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and rapid mutation of SARS-CoV-2.

Conclusion

This study revealed that Chinese people were very receptive to the third booster dose, which is an inspiring result. More positive attitudes regarding COVID-19 vaccination were supported by its efficacy and few side effects.

Physicians' Perception About the Side Effects of COVID-19 Vaccine and Their Role in Vaccination Program

INTRODUCTION

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused many problems in the health sector. Effective and safe vaccines are the only tool to combat the COVID-19 disease. Researchers and regulatory agencies have made efforts to develop such vaccines and healthcare professionals were prioritized for the vaccination program as first-line care providers. Considering this prioritization, we aimed to assess the physicians' perceptions regarding the side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine.

METHODS

An interview-based study was conducted from May 5 May to November 5, 2021 (6 months) in a teaching hospital in the capital city of Islamabad, Pakistan.

RESULTS

Among the 200 physicians who agreed to participate in the interview, 74% were male. A total of 94% did not experience any side effects after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, regardless of the type of vaccine; 6% experienced side effects. Furthermore, 90% of physicians were afraid of side effects due to the high number of vaccine doses.

CONCLUSION

Conclusively, physicians had a positive perception regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. Healthcare authorities and related departments must take precautions to ensure the effective and safe COVID-19 vaccine to change the perceptions of physicians who had a negative perception. This will not only reduce the reluctance among physicians regarding administering COVID-19 vaccine, but will also boost and facilitate the vaccination program for the general public as well.

Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine and determinant factors in the Iranian population: a web-based study

BACKGROUND

Iran had a high rate of death in several COVID 19 waves. Vaccination is a method for prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic. Success in controlling the pandemic is not solely dependent on the effectiveness of the vaccines. It is also dependent on the global acceptance and vaccine coverage rate. This study aimed to determine the acceptance rate of COVID-19 vaccination in the Iranian population and the factors affecting it.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

This study was a cross-sectional research on 1564 Iranian people above 18. Study data were collected using a web-based questionnaire and analyzed using linear regression analysis and logistics at a significance level of 0.05 using SPSS.

RESULTS

Approximately 70% of the participants reported acceptance of the vaccines. Ten percent of the people were against and 20% were hesitant to get vaccinated. The results showed that risk perception (P = .003), Knowledge of the disease (P < .001), trust in the health system (P < .001), attitude towards vaccination (P < .001), and vaccination literacy (P < .001) were predictors of vaccine acceptance. People with higher levels of education and mistrust towards the health system had a reduced vaccine acceptance rate.

CONCLUSIONS

The acceptance rate of the COVID-19 vaccine in Iran was higher than in the other countries in the Middle East. Extensive interventions are important to increase the trust in the health system and improve the knowledge of vaccine efficacy and literacy.

Public Knowledge, Beliefs and Attitudes toward the COVID-19 Vaccine in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: With the help of vaccines, the world has witnessed a substantial decrease and even the eradication of many infectious diseases. Many factors influenced the public’s acceptance and compliance with the COVID-19 vaccine. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that was conducted in Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire link was distributed through social media platforms. The questionnaire tool assessed the participants’ general knowledge and the barriers to taking the COVID-19 vaccine. All people who are currently living in Saudi Arabia and are at least 16 years old were included in the study and formed the study population. Based on our inclusion criteria, a total of 2,198 individuals were enrolled in this study. Results: Participants who were willing to take the vaccine were 68%. After vaccination, 10% of the participants think they can stop wearing face masks and washing their hands. Two-thirds of the participants think that the vaccine is effective in preventing COVID-19 infection. A total of 44.0% of the participants were afraid of the vaccine. The most common reasons were fear of unknown side effects (53.9%) and believing that the vaccine was not tested enough (27%). More than half of the study participants had a preference for receiving the Pfizer vaccine (52%). Conclusion: The public’s acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine in Saudi Arabia is insufficient. Unknown side effects, widespread misconceptions, and a lack of adequate safety trials are all important reasons for concern among Saudis. More educational materials and awareness efforts will help to alleviate the fear that surrounds it. This will boost the vaccine’s acceptance rate in the long run.

Predictors of nurses' intention to accept COVID-19 vaccination: A cross-sectional study in five European countries

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To investigate nurses' intention in accepting COVID-19 vaccination and the factors affecting their decision.

BACKGROUND

COVID-19 vaccination has started in most European countries with healthcare personnel being the first group receiving the vaccine shots. Their attitude towards vaccination is of paramount significant as their role in the frontline could help in the awareness of general population.

METHODS

A study was conducted in Albania, Cyprus, Greece, Spain and Kosovo with the use of an online questionnaire. The Fear of COVID-19 Scale was used. The STROBE checklist was followed for this cross-sectional study.

RESULTS

Study population consisted of 1135 nurses. Mean age of the participants was 38.3 years, while most of them were female gender (84.7%) and married (53.1%). Acceptance of a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine was higher among Greek (79.2%) and Spanish (71.6%) nurses, followed by Cypriot (54%), Albanian (46.3%) and Kosovo (46.2%) nurses. Key factors for willingness to get vaccinated were male gender, living in a country with a high mortality rate in comparison with low mortality, being not infected with COVID-19, having high level of knowledge about COVID-19 vaccines and having been vaccinated for influenza in the last 2 years. Moreover, trusting the government and doctors regarding the information about the COVID-19 and having high level of fear about this virus were key factors for willingness to get vaccinated.

CONCLUSION

Vaccination of healthcare personnel is a crucial issue not only for their own safety but also for their patients'. Healthcare acceptance to get vaccinated can work as a role model for general population.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Gender, country, mortality rate, trust in government and health professionals and the level of fear were key factors that should be managed in clinical practice.

Public Preferences for a COVID-19 Vaccination Program in Quebec: A Discrete Choice Experiment

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to elicit preferences of the French-speaking Quebec population regarding a COVID-19 vaccination program and to characterize individuals with respect to their vaccination behaviors.

METHODS

A discrete choice experiment was conducted in Autumn 2020 via a web-based survey. Its design included seven attributes: vaccine origin, vaccine effectiveness, side effects, protection duration, priority population, waiting time to get vaccinated, and recommender of the vaccine. Utilities were estimated using a mixed-logit model and a latent class logit model.

RESULTS

Our sample included 1599 individuals. From this total, 119 always chose the opt-out option (7.4%). According to the mixed-logit model, the relative weights of attributes were as follows: effectiveness (28.48%), side effects (23.68%), protection duration (17.41%), vaccine origin (12.75%), recommender (11.96%), waiting time to get vaccinated (3.62%), and priority population (2.11%). Five classes were derived from the latent class logit model. Class 1 (9.13%) wanted to get vaccinated as fast as possible and was composed of uncertain and more vulnerable individuals. Class 5 (25.14%) was similar to the full sample, mostly favoring vaccination. Classes 2 (7.69%) and 4 (15.82%) included "vaccine hesitant and demanding" individuals but were different in their sociodemographic profiles. Finally, "anti-vaccine" and other "vaccine hesitant" individuals were in class 3 (42.21%).

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed the vaccine characteristics that are likely to improve vaccine uptake, which may more easily lead to herd immunity. Different profiles of respondents also showed various levels of acceptance toward a COVID-19 vaccination program, which may help to better understand vaccine hesitancy behaviors.

Resilience and intention of healthcare workers in China to receive a COVID-19 vaccination: The mediating role of life satisfaction and stigma

Aims

The present study investigated the association between resilience, stigma, life satisfaction and the intention to receive a COVID‐19 vaccination among Chinese HCWs. It also explored the mediating role of stigma and life satisfaction on the association between resilience and intention to receive a COVID‐19 vaccination.

Design

An anonymous cross‐sectional survey.

Methods

1733 HCWs from five hospitals in four provinces of mainland China completed a cross‐sectional online survey in October and November 2020.

Results

Among the HCWs, the rate of intention to receive a COVID‐19 vaccination was 73.1%. Results from structural equation modelling showed that resilience was associated both directly, and indirectly with greater intent to receive a COVID‐19 vaccination through two pathways: first by increasing life satisfaction, and second by reducing stigma and increasing life satisfaction.

Conclusion

Promoting the resilience of HCWs has the potential to increase the COVID‐19 vaccination uptake rate among HCWs in China.

Impact

This study tested the relationship between several psychological factors and the COVID‐19 vaccination intention of HCWs in China, finding that resilience played a significant role in improving COVID‐19 vaccination intention rates by reducing stigma and increasing life satisfaction.

Association between social media use and the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination among the general population in Saudi Arabia - a cross-sectional study

Background

The Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a worldwide global public health threat. Although acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination will be a critical step in combating the pandemic, achieving high uptake will be difficult, and potentially made more difficult by social media misinformation. This study aimed to examine the association between social media use and acceptance of receiving COVID-19 vaccine among the general population in Saudi Arabia.

Methodology

A cross-sectional study was conducted from June 17 to June 19, 2021 among 504 participants of the general population in Saudi Arabia. The data were collected using a three-part online questionnaire (sociodemographic characteristics, medical and vaccination history, pattern of social media use).

Results

Among 504 participants who completed the survey, 477 participants were acceptant of the vaccine and 27 were non-accepting. A total of 335 individuals had already received the vaccine, 142 were willing to receive the vaccine and 27 were unwilling. One hundred and thirty participants denied using social media for COVID-19 news. Four factors were found to be significant in influencing vaccine acceptance in univariate analysis: having a chronic condition (odds ratio (OR) = 0.367, P = 0.019), believing that infertility is a side effect of the COVID-19 vaccine (OR = 0.298, P = 0.009), being concerned about a serious side effect from the vaccine (somewhat concerned: OR = 0.294, P = 0.022, very concerned: OR = 0.017, P < 0.0001), and basing the decision to be vaccinated on social media information (OR = 0.260, P = 0.006). Two of these factors fell away on multivariate analysis: basing the decision on social media information (OR = 0.356, P = 0.071), and a belief that vaccination causes infertility (OR = 0.0333, P = 0.054), suggesting that the associations are dependent on other factors.

Conclusion

‏In conclusion, there was no significant independent relationship between social media usage and people's willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. Further studies to explore the association between social media use and vaccine decisions are required to generalize this observation to the Saudi population.

Determinants of COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance in West Papua, Indonesia

BACKGROUND: A COVID-19 vaccine is available but acceptance in the community is still low. One of the causes of this is information, that is, lacking and cannot be understood by the community because it is not specific to the context of geography, culture, and sociodemography. AIM: The aim of this research is to understand the people’s desire for the COVID-19 vaccine in West Papua, Indonesia. METHODS: A web-based cross-sectional study was conducted using a snowball sampling strategy under a very limited environment. Questionnaires were designed and sent to study participants through social media forms. Study participants were recruited throughout West Papua. The main determinants predicting vaccine acceptance among respondents were modeled using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 314 participants were willing to take the survey. Of the 314 participants, we found that education level, knowledge, and fear were the main factors predicting acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine, respectively (p-value; 0.019, 0.018, and 0.031). CONCLUSIONS: Sociodemographic determinants related to COVID-19 vaccination to develop new effective interventions to increase information stability and identify key factors, health education interventions that are appropriate for the language, culture, and socioeconomics can help increase the uptake of global vaccination programs to cope with the future pandemics.

Covid-19 vaccine acceptance and associated factors among pregnant women in Pennsylvania 2020

Data on factors associated with vaccine acceptance among pregnant women are critical to the rapid scale up of interventions to improve vaccine uptake. When COVID-19 vaccines were still in the testing phases of research, we surveyed pregnant women accessing prenatal care at an academic medical institution in Central Pennsylvania, United States to examine factors associated with vaccine acceptance. Willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine once a vaccine became available was asked as part of an ongoing study on the COVID-19 pandemic and pregnancy (n = 196). Overall, 65% of women reported they would be willing or somewhat willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Women who had received an influenza vaccine within the past year were more likely to be willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine than women who had never received an influenza vaccine or those who received it over one year ago (aOR 4.82; 95% CI 2.17, 10.72). Similarly, women who were employed full-time were more willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine than women who were not employed full time (aOR 2.22; 95% CI 1.02, 4.81), and women who reported feeling overloaded were more willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine than women who did not feel overloaded (aOR 2.18; 95% CI 1.02, 4.68). Our findings support the need to increase vaccination education among pregnant women before vaccines are rolled out, especially those who have not received an influenza vaccine within the past year. Improved understanding of willingness to vaccinate among pregnant women will improve future pandemic responses and current vaccination efforts.

Comparison of Predictors of COVID-19 Vaccination Intention Between Healthcare Workers and Non-Healthcare Workers in China

Background

Vaccination is an effective strategy to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. This study aimed to compare predictors of vaccination intention between healthcare workers (HCWs) and non-healthcare workers (non-HCWs) in China.

Methods

A web-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among HCWs and non-HCWs. Several bivariate analysis techniques, eg, crosstab with Chi-square, independent t-test and single factor ANOVA, were performed to analyze the correlation. After that, a series of multivariate binary regressions were employed to determine predictors of vaccination intention.

Results

Intention was closely and significantly related with gender, perceived vaccination knowledge, perceived importance and effectiveness of vaccine to prevent COVID-19. HCWs and non-HCWs were heterogeneous, since vaccination intention, perceived knowledge, and attitudes (eg, importance, severity, risk) toward COVID-19 or vaccine had statistically significant difference between the two groups. With comparison of predictors of vaccination intention, for HCWs, demographic factors were the major predictors of COVID-19 vaccination intention. Female HCWs and HCWs with a Master’s or higher degree were more hesitant about vaccination (P = 0.01 and P < 0.001, respectively), while HCWs had greater vaccination intention as their age increased (P = 0.02). For non-HCWs, perceived vaccination knowledge was the major predictor of COVID-19 vaccination intention (P < 0.001). Additionally, perceived importance and effectiveness of vaccine were predictors for both HCWs and non-HCWs.

Conclusion

Vaccination intention of HCWs was greater than that of non-HCWs in China. Measures should be taken to improve the vaccination rate based on the predictors of vaccination intention identified in this study. For HCWs, especially those with a high level of education or who were females, the safety and effectiveness of vaccines in use may reinforce their vaccination intention. For non-HCWs, popularization of general medical knowledge, including of vaccine-preventable diseases, may increase their vaccination intention.

[Vaccination willingness against COVID-19 among healthcare workers in Germany : Results from a University Medicine Network survey between November 2020 and January 2021]

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic is a continuing burden on society and the health system. The vaccination willingness among healthcare workers is of particular interest, as these groups play a key role in the pandemic response.

OBJECTIVES

The present study investigated how the willingness of healthcare workers in Germany to get vaccinated depends on sociodemographic, occupational, and COVID-19-specific characteristics, as well as mental health.

METHODS

Between November 2020 and January 2021, 6217 employees in the German healthcare system were questioned about their vaccination willingness, sociodemographic, occupational, COVID-19-specific, and psychosocial characteristics using the online VOICE survey within the framework of the University Medicine Network (NUM).

RESULTS

The vaccination willingness of the sample group was 65.3%. A higher vaccination willingness was associated with male gender; age > 40 years; having no children or no migration background; not working in direct patient care; belonging to a COVID-19 risk group or professional group of physicians and psychologists in comparison with nursing staff; feeling sufficiently informed about COVID-19 and protected by the measures of the national or local authorities and the employer; fear of infection; and lack of signs of depression. Physicians showed the highest willingness to get vaccinated.

CONCLUSIONS

During the study period, an overall moderate vaccination willingness against COVID-19 in the health sector was described. Information about the disease and vaccination, especially for younger people, females, and non-physicians, adequate protective measures and prevention of depressive symptoms could increase the vaccination willingness.

Determinants for Acceptance of COVID-19 Vaccine in Nigeria

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic heralded an unprecedented race to the development of several vaccine candidates at record speeds never seen in global health. Within nine months, Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine was approved by the United States FDA. Unfortunately, while these advances were ongoing, there was a burgeoning epidemic of disinformation about the virus and the vaccines that affected the willingness of people, especially minority groups, to get vaccinated. In Nigeria, this wave of vaccine hesitancy was happening against the backdrop of landmark pharmaceutical litigations such as the 2007 Pfizer trovafloxacin lawsuit in the country.

Aim: To assess the determinants of the COVID-19 vaccine's acceptability among Nigerians.

Materials and methods: Following ethical approval, a population-based cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2020 to January 2021 using an adapted pretested, self-administered questionnaire originally designed by Amyn Malik and colleagues who conducted a similar study at Yale University School of Public Health. The participants were recruited through simple random sampling using a list of community and corporate sites obtained from Google Maps in the three regional zones of Nigeria (north, east, and west) in diverse occupational and residential settings. Information obtained includes socio-demographics, medical history related to COVID-19, level of knowledge, risk perception, and attitudes toward COVID-19 and the vaccines. Descriptive and inferential statistics were done, and results were summarized into percentages and associations. The level of statistical significance was set at a p-value of <0.05. Using the open EpiR package (Emory), we determined a minimum of 340 participants for a statistical power of 80%.

Results: A total of 358 responses were obtained out of the 120 questionnaires distributed in each of the three regions, of which 189 (53%) were females. The mean age of respondents was 32 years (±11.2 SD). About 75% of the participants had at least a college education. The majority (66.2%) of the participants were willing to accept the approved vaccine. The mean risk perception score for COVID-19 was 5.1 (±2.2 SD) out of 10, while the mean COVID-19 symptom knowledge score was 8.6 (±4.1 SD) out of 19. Variables such as being male, identifying as Christian, Hausa ethnicity, and living in northern Nigeria had a statistically significant relationship with the willingness to get vaccinated.

Conclusion: Over 60% of Nigerians are willing to take the COVID-19 vaccines if recommended by health workers. We found male gender, religion, ethnicity, and geographical location to positively influence the willingness of Nigerians to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Health workers should be supported to go beyond the confines of the hospital to educate the general public in schools, marketplaces, churches, and corporate organizations on the efficacy and safety of the approved vaccines.

Acceptance, attitude, and factors affecting the intention to accept COVID-19 vaccine among Thai people and expatriates living in Thailand

Background

COVID-19 pandemic is a worldwide problem. Vaccination as primary prevention is necessary. Thailand is in the initial phase of the vaccination program. However, the demand for this vaccine among Thais and expatriates living in Thailand is still unknown. This study aims to assess acceptance, attitude, and determinants for COVID-19 vaccination among Thai people and expatriates living in Thailand.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study conducted in Thailand during May 2021. An online survey (REDcap) was distributed through online social media platforms. Adult (>18 years old) Thai and expatriates living in Thailand were invited. Any person who already received any COVID-19 vaccine was excluded from this study.

Result

One thousand sixty-six responses were collected in this survey. A total of 959 were available for analysis. Six hundred thirty-seven 637 responses were from Thais and 322 responses from expatriates living in Thailand. The acceptance rate was significantly higher among expatriates than local people (57.8% vs 41.8%, p-value < 0.001). The acceptance rate increased up to 89.0–91.3% if they could select the vaccine brand, and 80.7–83.2% when they were recommended by the health care professionals. Both groups had a similar mean attitude score toward COVID-19 vaccination. Being Thai, health care worker, good compliance to social distancing, accepting serious side effects at level 1 per 100,000, and having a good attitude toward COVID-19 vaccination were associated with vaccine acceptance.

Conclusion

Thailand's COVID-19 vaccination program could improve the acceptance rate by informing the public about vaccine efficacy, vaccine benefit, and vaccine safety. Moreover, supplying free of charge high efficacy alternative vaccines and letting all people living in Thailand make their own vaccine choices could increase the acceptance rate.

Willingness, beliefs, and barriers regarding the COVID-19 vaccine in Saudi Arabia: a multiregional cross-sectional study

Background

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread worldwide, and the vaccine remains the ultimate cornerstone to overcoming its long-term impact. Vaccine hesitancy might obstruct the effort to achieve herd immunity and eradicate the virus. We assessed Saudi Arabian individuals’ willingness, beliefs, and barriers regarding the COVID-19 vaccine and their adherence to preventive measures during and after the pandemic.

Methods

A self-administered electronic validated questionnaire was distributed among the five major regions in Saudi Arabia between November and December 2020. The questionnaire addressed the sociodemographic data, beliefs, potential barriers, parents’ acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination for their children, and adherence to protective measures during and after the pandemic.

Results

Of 8,056 participants, 4,218 (52.4%) of a non-representative sample were willing to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Being a young adult, male, having less than a high school degree, being a smoker, having a chronic disease, and having a history of seasonal influenza vaccine uptake were positive predictors of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. Hesitant participants reported concerns about vaccine side effects and safety as the main barriers to accepting the COVID-19 vaccine. Some refusers (26.1%) declared that they would reconsider vaccination only if the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine were reported by more studies.

Conclusions

Our study revealed a promising willingness to accept the vaccine among the population, with positive beliefs and attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination. However, a considerable proportion of the population was reluctant to accept the vaccine. Thus, publicly providing information about vaccine safety and implementing health education programs is crucial for increasing the public’s confidence in the vaccine.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12875-021-01606-6.

The Nature and Extent of COVID-19 Vaccination Hesitancy in Healthcare Workers

COVID-19 vaccines were approved in late 2020 and early 2021 for public use in countries across the world. Several studies have now highlighted COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy in the general public. However, little is known about the nature and extent of COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy in healthcare workers worldwide. Thus, the purpose of this study was to conduct a comprehensive worldwide assessment of published evidence on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among healthcare workers. A scoping review method was adopted to include a final pool of 35 studies in this review with study sample size ranges from n = 123 to 16,158 (average = 2185 participants per study). The prevalence of COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy worldwide in healthcare workers ranged from 4.3 to 72% (average = 22.51% across all studies with 76,471 participants). The majority of the studies found concerns about vaccine safety, efficacy, and potential side effects as top reasons for COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy in healthcare workers. The majority of the studies also found that individuals who were males, of older age, and doctoral degree holders (i.e., physicians) were more likely to accept COVID-19 vaccines. Factors such as the higher perceived risk of getting infected with COVID-19, direct care for patients, and history of influenza vaccination were also found to increase COVID-19 vaccination uptake probability. Given the high prevalence of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in healthcare workers, communication and education strategies along with mandates for clinical workers should be considered to increase COVID-19 vaccination uptake in these individuals. Healthcare workers have a key role in reducing the burden of the pandemic, role modeling for preventive behaviors, and also, helping vaccinate others.

COVID-19 Vaccine Intent Among Health Care Professionals of Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Barbados

INTRODUCTION

Due to increased exposure risk and the potential impact of COVID-19 infection, health care professionals (HCP) are a target group for COVID-19 vaccination. This study aimed to examine the acceptability of COVID-19 vaccines among HCP at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Barbados.

DESIGN AND METHODS

A cross-sectional survey of HCP was conducted between February 14 and 27, 2021 using an online questionnaire. The questionnaire included demographic information, knowledge of novel coronavirus, intention to accept the COVID-19 vaccination, vaccine literacy (VL), and perceptions and attitudes regarding COVID-19 vaccines. Mean VL scores were calculated. The relationship between socio-demographic variables and vaccine intent was assessed using a multivariable logistic regression model.

RESULTS

Of 343 HCPs, 55.1% indicated they would accept the COVID-19 vaccine if it were available; 44.9% expressed hesitancy towards the COVID-19 vaccine. We assessed the impact of socio-demographic factors and previous vaccine behavior on vaccine intent; after adjustment of the multivariable logistic regression model, non-Barbadian nationality and previous flu vaccine uptake were statistically significant predictors of reported intent to take the COVID-19 vaccine. Persons who indicated that they would take the vaccine had a higher mean vaccine literacy score [3.46 95% CI (3.40, 3.52)] than those who were not ready to take the vaccine immediately [3.23 95% CI (3.15, 3.30)]. VL scores were higher among the 29.5% of HCPs who believed vaccines should be mandatory.

CONCLUSION

This study highlighted vaccine hesitancy among HCPs in the sole public tertiary hospital of Barbados. As HCP perceptions may help or hinder the campaign to promote vaccine uptake in Barbados, vaccine promotion programs targeting HCPs are needed to ensure the success of the country's COVID-19 vaccination drive.

Factors influencing acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine in Malaysia: a web-based survey

OBJECTIVE

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has set a precedent for the fastest-produced vaccine as a result of global collaboration and outreach. This study explored Malaysians' acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine and its associated factors.

METHODS

A cross-sectional anonymous web-based survey was disseminated to Malaysian adults aged ≥18 years old via social media platforms between July 10, 2020 and August 31, 2020.

RESULTS

In the analysis of 4,164 complete responses, 93.2% of participants indicated that they would accept the COVID-19 vaccine if it was offered for free by the Malaysian government. The median out-of-pocket cost that participants were willing to pay for a COVID-19 vaccine was Malaysian ringgit (MYR) 100 (interquartile range [IQR], 100) if it was readily available and MYR 150 (IQR, 200) if the supply was limited. Respondents with a low likelihood of vaccine hesitancy had 13 times higher odds of accepting the COVID-19 vaccine (95% confidence interval [CI], 8.69 to 19.13). High perceived risk and severity were also associated with willingness to be vaccinated, with adjusted odds ratios of 2.22 (95% CI, 1.44 to 3.41) and 2.76 (95% CI, 1.87 to 4.09), respectively. Age and ethnicity were the only independent demographic characteristics that predicted vaccine uptake.

CONCLUSION

Public health strategies targeting perceived risk, perceived susceptibility and vaccine hesitancy could be effective in enhancing vaccine uptake.

COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance: Beliefs and Barriers Associated with Vaccination Among the Residents of KSA

INTRODUCTION

COVID-19 was declared a pandemic in March 2020 by the World Health Organization. Control of COVID-19 depends on the potential vaccine and its successful delivery to a large portion of the population to develop herd immunity. All the governments have made a robust plan to distribute the vaccine to their people, but many countries could not achieve adequate vaccination coverage. Hence, this study explores people's beliefs and barriers to vaccination and provides valuable inputs to the government to attain adequate vaccination.

OBJECTIVE

To know the knowledge level about the COVID-19 vaccine among the residents of KSA. To find out the various concerns (beliefs) about COVID-19 and its vaccine among the residents of KSA. To estimate the vaccine acceptance and understand the barriers to accepting the COVID-19 vaccine among residents of KSA.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A web-based, cross-sectional study was conducted from April to June 2021 in a restricted environment on the adult (>18 years) residents of Saudi Arabia. The minimum calculated sample was 685; 796 study samples were finally studied to minimize the sampling error. Snowball sampling was used to select the study samples, after meeting the inclusion criteria.

RESULTS

A total of 796 people responded. Only 782 (98.2%) were finally considered after excluding the incomplete information forms. The selected participant's age ranges from 18 years to 80 years. Almost 723 (92%) of the study group knew COVID vaccines. Most of the participants, 370 (47%), preferred USA-manufactured vaccine followed by Saudi Arabia 217 (28%). A total of 259 (33.1%) participants were hesitant to receive the vaccine. Out of 782, half of the participants, 386 (50%), believed the COVID vaccine will prevent the infection.

CONCLUSION

The government must implement appropriate culturally accepted interventional vaccination educational campaigns to remove the beliefs, worries regarding the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines, to increase vaccine acceptance rates.

Awareness, Attitude, and Acceptability of Healthcare Workers About COVID-19 Vaccination in Western India

Introduction In the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, healthcare workers (HCWs) are at the frontline around the world and categorized as a priority group for COVID-19 vaccines. Our study aimed to find out the COVID-19 vaccine awareness, attitude, and acceptance in HCWs in western India. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out between January 14 and January 28, 2021, at a tertiary care hospital located in western India. Data were collected anonymously using Google Forms. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the sociodemographic variables. The knowledge and attitude of HCWs were analyzed using mean and SD. Multivariate analysis was done to find out the association between participants' attitudes with demographic characteristics. Results Of the total health care workers, 498 answered the survey. The mean age of participants was 29.8 years (SD 6.4), and 354 (71.1%) were male. Among the respondents, 445 (89.4%) would accept a COVID-19 vaccine when available. Four-hundred seventy-six (476) HCWs (95.6%) had excellent knowledge regarding COVID-19 and COVID-19-appropriate behavior. The majority of the subjects (399) had a neutral attitude toward COVID-19 vaccination. Health care professionals (doctors and nurses) had higher acceptance for vaccination against COVID-19 than non-professionals. Conclusions The higher rates of COVID-19 vaccine acceptability and the excellent knowledge among HCWs will directly enhance the level and acceptability of vaccine among the general population and will definitely help in reducing the mortality and morbidity related to COVID-19.

Acceptability of COVID-19 vaccine in the working-age population in Shanghai city: a cross-sectional study

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), is still an enormous threat to global health and the economy. Although China has adopted effective measures to control the outbreak, there is still a risk of local transmission from imported cases. Meanwhile, considering the high mortality rate and rapid spread of the disease, a safe and effective vaccine is urgently needed to control the pandemic. With COVID-19 vaccines becoming available to the population, it has become important to know about their acceptance in the population. This is important to enable high vaccination coverage rates and reflects the demand within the general population. An cross-sectional survey was conducted during October 2020 in Shanghai using a well-designed questionnaire, which aimed to evaluate the acceptability of COVID-19 vaccines and to identify the factors affecting its acceptability among working-age adults in Shanghai, China. We found that the acceptability of COVID-19 vaccines was high in work-age adults in Shanghai, China. The factors affecting the acceptability of vaccination identified in this study can provide guides to increase COVID-19 vaccine acceptability in future.

Determinants of COVID-19 Vaccination Willingness among Health Care Workers: A Quick Online Survey in India

BACKGROUND

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused a large number of deaths along with severe socio-economic effects. The vaccine is considered to be the last hope to control viral transmission. This study aimed to explore the determinants of health care workers' (HCWs) willingness to take the COVID-19 vaccination.

METHODS

A structured, pre-validated, and pre-tested questionnaire was administered online to 599 HCWs including physicians, residents, and nurses from different types of healthcare set-ups across India. Information was collected regarding vaccine acceptability, attitude toward vaccination, and reasons for hesitancy. The chi-square test, followed by multinomial regression analysis, was applied to determine the factors associated with HCWs' vaccination willingness.

RESULTS

It was found that 73 % (n=437) of HCWs were willing to accept the vaccines, while 10.85% (n=65) refused and 16.2% (n=96) needed more time to decide. Gender (P<0.001), occupation (P=0.040), working as front-line workers (P=0.008), vaccine manufacturing country preferences (P<0.001), and perceived risk of catching COVID-19 in the next 6 months (P=0.005) had a significant association with intent to receive vaccination (the response were "yes" vs. "no" and "not sure"). The reasons for vaccine hesitancy were vaccine safety and efficacy concerns, antivaccine attitude and beliefs, personal choice, and not wanting to take a vaccine before others.

CONCLUSION

The majority of HCWs agreed to take COVID-19 vaccines once available. Nevertheless, providing support to manage evolving vaccine environments will help change the perception of HCWs who refuse or are reluctant to take the vaccines.

A Scoping Review to Find Out Worldwide COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Its Underlying Determinants

BACKGROUND

The current crisis created by the coronavirus pandemic is impacting all facets of life. Coronavirus vaccines have been developed to prevent coronavirus infection and fight the pandemic. Since vaccines might be the only way to prevent and stop the spread of coronavirus. The World Health Organization (WHO) has already approved several vaccines, and many countries have started vaccinating people. Misperceptions about vaccines persist despite the evidence of vaccine safety and efficacy.

OBJECTIVES

To explore the scientific literature and find the determinants for worldwide COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy as reported in the literature.

METHODS

PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines were followed to conduct a scoping review of literature on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and willingness to vaccinate. Several databases (e.g., MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Google Scholar) were searched to find relevant articles. Intervention- (i.e., COVID-19 vaccine) and outcome- (i.e., hesitancy) related terms were used to search in these databases. The search was conducted on 22 February 2021. Both forward and backward reference lists were checked to find further studies. Three reviewers worked independently to select articles and extract data from selected literature. Studies that used a quantitative survey to measure COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and acceptance were included in this review. The extracted data were synthesized following the narrative approach and results were represented graphically with appropriate figures and tables.

RESULTS

82 studies were included in this scoping review of 882 identified from our search. Sometimes, several studies had been performed in the same country, and it was observed that vaccine hesitancy was high earlier and decreased over time with the hope of vaccine efficacy. People in different countries had varying percentages of vaccine uptake (28-86.1%), vaccine hesitancy (10-57.8%), vaccine refusal (0-24%). The most common determinants affecting vaccination intention include vaccine efficacy, vaccine side effects, mistrust in healthcare, religious beliefs, and trust in information sources. Additionally, vaccination intentions are influenced by demographic factors such as age, gender, education, and region.

CONCLUSIONS

The underlying factors of vaccine hesitancy are complex and context-specific, varying across time and socio-demographic variables. Vaccine hesitancy can also be influenced by other factors such as health inequalities, socioeconomic disadvantages, systemic racism, and level of exposure to misinformation online, with some factors being more dominant in certain countries than others. Therefore, strategies tailored to cultures and socio-psychological factors need to be developed to reduce vaccine hesitancy and aid informed decision-making.

Sociodemographic and Behavioral Predictors of COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in Pakistan

BACKGROUND

The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues with resurgent second and third waves worldwide. Vaccination is one of several measures that are needed to end this pervasive threat. Pakistan, however, has a relatively low rate of routine vaccine acceptance. Our study aimed to determine the proportion and predictors of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy (VH) among adults in Pakistan.

METHODS

An online cross-sectional study was conducted from December 27, 2020 to March 6, 2021. Non-probability sampling was applied to recruit study participants through social media platforms (ie, Facebook and Twitter) and through free messaging services (WhatsApp). Stata 16 was used to generate descriptive statistics and logistic regression models for identifying predictive variables of vaccine hesitancy. A p-value of <0.05 was considered strong evidence against the null hypothesis.

RESULTS

Out of 1014 participants, 35.8% (n=363) were hesitant about receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Reasons for VH included concerns about side effects (42.4%), belief in conspiracy theories (20.1%), perceived inefficacy of the vaccine (13.2%), and perceived protection through precautionary measures (12.6%). Urban residency (AOR 2.34, 95% CI 1.54-3.57), reservations about vaccine safety (AOR 3.29, 95% CI 1.68-6.44), uncertainty about vaccine efficacy (AOR 2.70, 95% CI 1.50-4.86), failure of the vaccine to reduce hospitalization and death (AOR 6.36, 95% CI 4.01-10.22), and unfelt need for vaccination awareness among public (AOR 2.02, 95% CI 1.28-3.14) were associated with higher rates of VH. At least one chronic disease (AOR 0.60, 95% CI 0.39-0.92), knowing someone infected with COVID-19 (AOR 0.56, 95% CI 0.39-0.81), and trusting information from the ministry of health (AOR 0.64, 95% CI 0.41-0.99) and physicians (AOR 0.27, 95% CI 0.13-0.53) were found to be associated with lower rates of COVID-19 VH.

CONCLUSION

More than one third of survey participants were VH. COVID-19 vaccine uptake in Pakistan can be improved through targeted health education strategies and planned interventions that address the barriers identified in the present study.

Quantifying healthcare and welfare sector workers' preferences around COVID-19 vaccination: a cross-sectional, single-profile discrete-choice experiment in France

OBJECTIVES

To analyse preferences around promotion of COVID-19 vaccination among workers in the healthcare and welfare sector in Fance at the start of the vaccination campaign.

DESIGN

Single-profile discrete-choice experiment. Respondents in three random blocks chose between accepting or rejecting eight hypothetical COVID-19 vaccination scenarios.

SETTING

4346 healthcare and welfare sector workers in France, recruited through nation-wide snowball sampling, December 2020 to January 2021.

OUTCOME

The primary outcomes were the effects of attributes' levels on hypothetical acceptance, expressed as ORs relative to the reference level. The secondary outcome was vaccine eagerness as certainty of decision, ranging from -10 to +10.

RESULTS

Among all participants, 61.1% made uniform decisions, including 17.2% always refusing vaccination across all scenarios (serial non-demanders). Among 1691 respondents making variable decisions, a strong negative impact on acceptance was observed with 50% vaccine efficacy (compared with 90% efficacy: OR 0.05, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.06) and the mention of a positive benefit-risk balance (compared with absence of severe and frequent side effects: OR 0.40, 0.34 to 0.46). The highest positive impact was the prospect of safely meeting older people and contributing to epidemic control (compared with no indirect protection: OR 4.10, 3.49 to 4.82 and 2.87, 2.34 to 3.50, respectively). Predicted acceptance was 93.8% for optimised communication on messenger RNA vaccines and 16.0% for vector-based vaccines recommended to ≥55-year-old persons. Vaccine eagerness among serial non-demanders slightly but significantly increased with the prospect of safely meeting older people and epidemic control and reduced with lower vaccine efficacy.

DISCUSSION

Vaccine promotion towards healthcare and welfare sector workers who hesitate or refuse vaccination should avoid the notion of benefit-risk balance, while collective benefit communication with personal utility can lever acceptance. Vaccines with limited efficacy will unlikely achieve high uptake.

Parental acceptability of COVID-19 vaccination for children under the age of 18 years among Chinese doctors and nurses: a cross-sectional online survey

This study investigated parental acceptability of COVID-19 vaccination for children under the age of 18 years among Chinese parents who are healthcare workers. A closed online survey among full-time doctors or nurses employed by the five collaborative hospitals who had access to smartphones was conducted. Facilitated by the hospital administrators, prospective participants received an invitation sent by the research team via the existing WeChat/QQ groups to complete an online questionnaire. A total of 2,281 participants completed the survey. This study was a sub-analysis of 1332 participants who had at least one child under the age of 18 years. Among the participants, 44.5% reported that they would likely or very likely to have their children under the age of 18 years take up COVID-19 vaccination in the next six months. After adjusting for significant background characteristics, perceived higher vaccine efficacy, longer protection duration, perceived high/very high chance for China to prevent another wave of COVID-19 outbreak with vaccines in place and willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccination for themselves were associated with higher parental acceptability of COVID-19 vaccination. At interpersonal level, higher frequency of information exposure through social media and direct interpersonal communication were associated with higher parental acceptability of COVID-19 vaccination, while knowing some people who experienced serious side effects following COVID-19 vaccination were associated with lower parental acceptability of COVID-19 vaccination. Despite their important roles in vaccination promotion, Chinese doctors and nurses showed low parental acceptability of COVID-19 vaccination. Effective health promotion is needed when COVID-19 vaccination become available.

Acceptability of COVID-19 vaccination in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study using a web-based survey

The success of COVID-19 vaccination depends on individual's vaccine acceptance. There has been misinformation on the media that doubts its effectiveness, safety, and long-term risk. Such controversy could affect the acceptance toward the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine. The objective of this study was to assess the factors influencing the acceptance and hesitancy toward the COVID-19 vaccine in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was conducted. An online survey was conducted with four parameters: Demographics, medical history, knowledge and information sources about COVID-19 and vaccine, and hesitancy/acceptance of vaccinations. Bivariate analysis between several survey items and the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine was conducted using Chi-square test. Logistic regression was used to assess to what degree each variable affects the acceptance and the hesitancy toward the COVID-19 vaccine. Approximately 64% show a desire to accept the vaccine while 18.3% were extremely hesitant to take the vaccine. Non-demographic factors that were associated with the acceptance toward the COVID-19 vaccine were the source of health information about COVID-19 (OR:1.63; 95% CI:1.07-2.47), perception toward whether the vaccine is effective on other variants of the virus (OR:7.24; 95% CI:4.58-11.45), previous uptake of the influenza vaccine (OR:1.62; 95% CI:1.07-2.47), and potential mandatory of vaccination in order to travel internationally (OR:16.52; 95% CI:10.23-26.68). This study provides an insight into factors - other than the sociodemographic - influencing the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine in Saudi Arabia. The government should address the COVID-19-related misinformation and rumors to increase acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination.

Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination and its determinants among Lebanese dentists: a cross-sectional study

Background

Dentists are at high risk of exposure to occupational Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Since vaccination is crucial to control COVID-19 pandemic, we aimed to assess COVID-19 vaccination acceptance and its determinants among Lebanese practicing dentists.

Methods

A cross-sectional online study was conducted between February 15 and 22, 2021, among dentists practicing in Lebanon. Prevalence of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance was estimated. A multivariable modified Poisson regression model was used to explore determinants of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance.

Results

In total, 86% of participants were willing to receive or have already received a COVID-19 vaccine. Having received the influenza vaccine during the COVID-19 pandemic was linked to a 12% increase in the COVID-19 vaccination acceptance rate. In addition, participants having moderate and high COVID-19 vaccination knowledge levels were more likely to accept receiving the vaccine, and participants whose fear of COVID-19 level was high were more likely to accept receiving the vaccine compared to those having a low fear level. Contrarily, those who visit the medical doctor only when needed and once a year were less likely to accept COVID-19 vaccine compared to participants who routinely visit the medical doctor.

Conclusions

Our study showed a high level of acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination among Lebanese practicing dentists. And since knowledge about COVID-19 vaccination was associated with the vaccine acceptance, it should be improved and updated to further increase the acceptance rate. High acceptability of COVID-19 vaccination among dentists is expected to have a positive impact among the population in terms of increasing awareness and vaccine uptake.

Population preferences and attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination: a cross-sectional study from Pakistan

Background

While vaccine development is itself a challenge; ensuring optimal vaccine uptake at population level can present an even more significant challenge. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the Pakistani population’s attitude and preferences towards the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine.

Method

A cross-sectional study was carried out through an online self-administered questionnaire from 27 September 2020 to 11 October 2020. A total of 883 people responded to the survey. The questionnaire included the participants’ socio-demographic variables, attitudes, beliefs towards the COVID-19 vaccine and acceptance and rejection of vaccination, and reasons for them. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the predictors for vaccine acceptance and willingness to pay for the vaccine.

Results

A majority (70.8%) of respondents will accept the COVID-19vaccine if available, and 66.8% showed a positive attitude towards vaccination. Monthly family income, education level, self-diagnosis of COVID-19 or a friend, family member, or colleague are significant factors influencing the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination. The dogma of being naturally immune to COVID-19 was a key reason for the refusal of the vaccine. Less than half (48%) of those who refuse will vaccinate themselves if government officials have made it compulsory. A third (33.9%) of participants were willing to pay up to (7 USD) 1000 Pkr (Pakistani Rupees) for the vaccine.

Conclusion

The population’s positive attitude should be improved by increasing awareness and eradicating false myths about vaccines through large-scale campaigns.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-021-11814-5.

Public Knowledge, Attitude, and Perception towards COVID-19 Vaccination in Saudi Arabia

Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) is a highly contagious infection that mainly affects the respiratory system of patients. To date, more than 10 million people have been affected by this virus, and Saudi Arabia has also reported over 210 million cases. At present, there is no established treatment for COVID-19. Vaccination is one of the ways to defeat the pandemic. Recent reports have indicated rare but serious adverse events after vaccination, causing an anxious response from the general public worldwide. Therefore, this study was aimed at evaluating the knowledge, attitude, and perception of the COVID-19 vaccine among the Saudi population. This study is a cross-sectional, web-based online survey conducted using a snowball sampling technique. A self-administered questionnaire prepared in Arabic and English was used to collect feedback from the general population on their knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions about the COVID-19 vaccine. Participants (n = 2022) from different regions of the country replied to the questions. The responses to the questions were recorded on a spreadsheet and analyzed using the SPSS software. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA and non-parametric tests to draw conclusions about the results. Multivariate stepwise regression analysis was performed to determine the association between the knowledge, attitude, and perception scores and the demographic variables. p < 0.05 was used to indicate the significance of the data. The data from the study indicated that most of the participants were males (81%), between 18 and 59 years of age (85.9%), Saudi nationals (98.3%), and possessed graduation or above as a qualification (62.9%). The results suggest that a major portion of respondents have satisfactory knowledge (76%), a positive attitude (72.4%), and perception (71.3%) towards the use of COVID-19 vaccines. Their responses can be categorized as between 'good' and 'fair'. However, 30-40% of respondents lacked information about COVID-19 vaccination availability for under 18-year-olds as well as for pregnant women, in addition to the lack of knowledge about the serious unreported adverse reactions and long-term protection offered by the vaccine against coronavirus. The correlation analysis between the variables (p > 0.05) indicated that the response to the KAP domains has no direct relationship. The survey results suggest that most of the Saudi population has sound knowledge and a positive attitude and perception. Since the COVID-19 vaccines have been approved for use in pregnancy and above 12-year-old children by health authorities, the lack of information shown by a significant percentage of participants requires strategies to update this information. Awareness programs targeting all sections of the population must be continued to provide all the updates, including vaccinations for pregnant women and children.

Perception of Heath Care Providers About COVID-19 and Its Vaccination in Saudi Arabia: Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose

The aim of this study was to assess the perception of health care providers about the COVID-19 and its vaccine in Saudi Arabia.

Patients and Methods

In this study, we used a quantitative, cross-sectional and descriptive design. We recruited healthcare providers (HCPs) from social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter and emails that was distributed from March 15, 2021, to April 14, 2021. Chi-square tests were used to compare categorized data between health care workers.

Results

A total of 390 health care providers from different regions of the country began the online survey. A total of 298 respondents (77.8%) accepted the COVID-19 vaccine, whereas 85 (22.2%) HCP disapproved. There was a significant difference in the degree of acceptance of COVID-19 immunization among health care providers (P<0.001). Moreover, the results showed 200 females (52.63%) were more likely to accept the COVID-19 immunization; 97 (25.5%) males were planning on getting one as soon as possible.

Conclusion

As shown in the results, 77.8% of health care providers agreed to receive the vaccine. Since COVID-19 is still ongoing, we must increase the number of HCPs who get vaccinated. In addition, a comprehensive immunization campaign is necessary to achieve maximum acceptance by the general public.

Attitudes of Dermatologic Patients Towards COVID-19 Vaccines: a Questionnaire-Based Survey

The objective of this paper is to evaluate the attitudes of patients with various dermatologic diseases towards coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines. The present questionnaire-based study was conducted on patients admitted to the outpatient clinic of the Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Ufuk University Hospital, between January 1 and 31, 2021. The study population was divided into two groups based on their ages: (1) < 40 age group (n = 188) and (2) ≥ 40 age group (n = 111), and answers given to 35 specific questions were compared between the groups. The older group had significantly higher levels of anxiety compared to the younger group (p = 0.017). Although approximately 60% of cases in the older group were dedicated to being vaccinated, 40% of the younger participants were not sure about vaccination (p < 0.001). The most frequently demanded vaccine types were the inactivated and mRNA vaccines in the elderly and young groups, respectively (p < 0.001). Statistically significant positive weak correlations were observed for age, chronic disease of medication, and presence of severe COVID 19 cases in the environment (r = 0.125 p = 0.031, r = 0.184 p = 0.001, r = 0.122 p = 0.035, respectively). Dermatologic patients had generally positive attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination, and their preferences were affected by age.

Differential Effect of Vaccine Effectiveness and Safety on COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance across Socioeconomic Groups in an International Sample

Controlling the spread of SARS-CoV-2 will require high vaccination coverage, but acceptance of the vaccine could be impacted by perceptions of vaccine safety and effectiveness. The aim of this study was to characterize how vaccine safety and effectiveness impact acceptance of a vaccine, and whether this impact varied over time or across socioeconomic and demographic groups. Repeated cross-sectional surveys of an opt-in internet sample were conducted in 2020 in the US, mainland China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, and India. Individuals were randomized into receiving information about a hypothetical COVID-19 vaccine with different safety and effectiveness profiles (risk of fever 5% vs. 20% and vaccine effectiveness 50% vs. 95%). We examined the effect of the vaccine profile on vaccine acceptance in a logistic regression model, and included interaction terms between vaccine profile and socioeconomic/demographic variables to examine the differences in sensitivity to the vaccine profile. In total, 12,915 participants were enrolled in the six-country study, including the US (4054), China (2797), Taiwan (1278), Malaysia (1497), Indonesia (1527), and India (1762). Across time and countries, respondents had stronger preferences for a safer and more effective vaccine. For example, in the US in November 2020, acceptance was 3.10 times higher for a 95% effective vaccine with a 5% risk of fever, vs a vaccine 50% effective, with a 20% risk of fever (95% CI: 2.07, 4.63). Across all countries, there was an increase in the effect of the vaccine profile over time (p < 0.0001), with stronger preferences for a more effective and safer vaccine in November 2020 compared to August 2020. Sensitivity to the vaccine profile was also stronger in August compared to November 2020, in younger age groups, among those with lower income; and in those that are vaccine hesitant. Uptake of COVID-19 vaccines could vary in a country based upon effectiveness and availability. Effective communication tools will need to be developed for certain sensitive groups, including young adults, those with lower income, and those more vaccine hesitant.

High COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among Healthcare Workers: Should Such a Trend Require Closer Attention by Policymakers?

Background The newly developed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines are considered to be a powerful tool to contain the devastating pandemic. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at the highest risk of exposure to COVID-19 and, therefore, they are the priority group for vaccination. Objectives The study aimed to examine the perceptions, attitudes, and acceptability of the COVID-19 vaccination among HCWs in India. Study design A cross-sectional pilot survey was conducted using an online questionnaire between 13 and 25 January 2021. Results Among 264 respondents, 40.2% of HCWs would receive the vaccine against COVID-19 if available and 32.2% were willing to take the vaccine after observing adverse effects in others. Infected members in the immediate social network (OR:2.15; 95%CI:0.426-10.844), COVID-19 knowledge (OR:5.113; 95%CI:0.974-26.853), the safety of vaccines (OR:7.608; 95%CI:2.618-22.11), and those who did not receive a flu vaccine last year (OR:2.612; 95%CI:1.120-6.091) were found to have a statistically significant association with vaccine acceptance. The main reasons to delay/refuse vaccination included: 'quick vaccine development and compromised quality' (43.7%) and 'lack of trusted information regarding COVID-19' (41.3%). Conclusions The finding showed a high rate of vaccine hesitancy among HCWs. Policymakers should take steps to increase public awareness and secure timely and affordable vaccines for the HCWs and general population with effective vaccine promotion campaigns.