scholarly journals Lack of lockdown, open borders, and no vaccination in sight: is Bosnia and Herzegovina a control group?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adnan Fojnica ◽  
Ahmed Osmanovic ◽  
Nermin Đuzic ◽  
Armin Fejzic ◽  
Ensar Mekic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mortality Rate ◽  
Bosnia And Herzegovina ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Herd Immunity ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Vaccine Acceptance ◽  
Open Borders

AbstractBosnia and Herzegovina is among ten countries in the world with the highest mortality rate due to COVID-19 infection. Lack of lockdown, open borders, high mortality rate, no herd immunity, no vaccination plan, and strong domestic anti-vaccination movement present serious COVID-19 concerns in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In such circumstances, we set out to study if the population is willing to receive the vaccine.A cross-sectional study was conducted among 10,471 adults in Bosnia and Herzegovina to assess the attitude of participants toward COVID-19 vaccination. Using a logistic regression model, we assessed the associations of sociodemographic characteristics with vaccine rejection, reasons for vaccine hesitancy, preferred vaccine manufacturer, and information sources.Surprisingly, only 25.7% of respondents indicated they would like to get a COVID-19 vaccine, while 74.3% of respondents were either hesitant or completely rejected vaccination. The vaccine acceptance increased with increasing age, education, and income level. Major motivation of pro-vaccination behaviour was intention to achieve collective immunity (30.1%), while the leading incentive for vaccine refusal was deficiency of clinical data (30.2%). The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is shown to be eightfold more preferred vaccine compared to the other manufacturers. For the first time, vaccine acceptance among health care professionals has been reported, where only 39.4% of healthcare professionals expressed willingness to get vaccinated.With the high share of the population unwilling to vaccinate, governmental impotence in securing the vaccines supplies, combined with the lack of any lockdown measures suggests that Bosnia and Herzegovina is unlikely to put COVID-19 pandemic under control in near future.

scholarly journals Prevalence and Drivers of COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy among Czech University Students: National Cross-Sectional Study

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 948
Author(s):  
Abanoub Riad ◽  
Andrea Pokorná ◽  
Natália Antalová ◽  
Martin Krobot ◽  
Nutsa Zviadadze ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
University Students ◽  
Herd Immunity ◽  
Safety Data ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Vaccine Acceptance ◽  
The Czech Republic

Background: university students are believed to retain the highest levels of health literacy. They are perceived as the opinion leaders within their communities; therefore, their health-related beliefs and attitudes are deemed important for public health campaigns. This study aimed to investigate the COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy drivers among university students in the Czech Republic. Methods: a cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire was carried out in the weeks before the unrestricted vaccine deployment to Czech adults. The questionnaire had 21 multiple-choice items stratified in 4 categories; demographic characteristics, COVID-19-related anamnesis and influenza vaccine experience, attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination, and the possible drivers of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy suggested by the WHO-SAGE. Results: out of the 1351 included students, 66.8% were females, 84.5% were Czech nationals, and 40.6% enrolled in healthcare programs. The overall COVID-19 vaccine acceptance level was 73.3%, 19.3% of participants were vaccine-resistant, and only 7.4% were vaccine-hesitant. Trust in the pharmaceutical industry, trust in healthcare providers, and perceived knowledge sufficiency predicted higher odds of vaccine acceptance. In contrast, media and social media, personal beliefs, immunity misconception, previous COVID-19 infection, and suspicions about novel vaccines and the local availability predicted higher odds of vaccine hesitancy. Conclusions: The findings of this study predict a fair probability to achieve community immunity (herd immunity) among the target population group. The primary prevention strategies in the Czech Republic need to be culturally sensitive and inclusive for foreign nationals. As one-quarter of the participating students are dependent on vaccine safety data, this study findings support the call for independent studies evaluating the side effects of COVID-19 vaccines.

scholarly journals Early COVID-19 Vaccination of Romanian Medical and Social Personnel

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 1127
Author(s):  
Loredana Sabina Cornelia Manolescu ◽  
Corneliu Nicolae Zaharia ◽  
Anca Irina Dumitrescu ◽  
Irina Prasacu ◽  
Mihaela Corina Radu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
Medical Profession ◽  
Geographic Area ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Vaccine Virus ◽  
Medical Doctor ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Vaccine Acceptance ◽  
First Choice

Background: In December 2020, the first doses of COVID-19 vaccines arrived in Romania and were made available to medical and social staff. Vaccine hesitancy appeared as a barrier to effectively ending the pandemic. The opinions of medical and social staff influence the opinion of the general population. This study assesess the attitudes, knowledge, and opinion of medical and social personnel toward COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination and the influencing factors. Methods: 1025 persons participated in an online cross-sectional study from March until July 2021. Results: Out of 1021 eligible responders, 719 (70.42%) had been vaccinated: 227 with one dose (22.23%) and 492 with two doses (48.18%). There were 302 responders who were not vaccinated at all. Out of them, 188 refused vaccinations. The participants showed a good understanding and knowledge of SARScoV-2 transmission and treatment. Geographic area, medical profession, and medical experience influenced COVID-19 vaccination (p < 0.001). There were no associations between willingness to vaccinate and vaccine/virus knowledge. Most of the responders who were vaccinated or wanted to be vaccinated indicated an mRNA vaccine as their first choice. The variables that were significantly associated with reporting COVID-19 vaccine acceptance after logistic regression were: living in an urban area (Ora = 1.58, 95% CI: 0.98–2.56), being female (Ora = 1.59; 95% CI:1.03–2.44), and being a medical doctor (Ora = 3.40; 95% CI: 1.84–6.26). Conclusions: These findings show that vaccine hesitancy persists in medical and social personnel in Romania, and, hence, it may be reflected in the hesitancy of the general population toward vaccination.

scholarly journals COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among Algerian medical students: a cross-sectional study in five universities.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed amine Kerdoun ◽  
Hamza Abdellah Henni ◽  
Assia Yamoun ◽  
Amine Rahmani ◽  
Rym Messaouda Kerdoun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
Educational Strategy ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Vaccine Acceptance ◽  
Vaccine Refusal ◽  
Available Information

Vaccine hesitancy is a limiting factor in global efforts to contain the current pandemic, wreaking havoc on public health. As today's students are tomorrow's doctors, it is critical to understand their attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine. To our knowledge, this study was the first national one to look into the attitudes of Algerian medical students toward the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine using an electronic convenience survey. 383 medical students from five Algerian universities were included, with a mean age of 21.02. 85.37% (n=327) of respondents had not taken the COVID-19 vaccine yet and were divided into three groups; the vaccine acceptance group (n=175, 53.51%), the vaccine-hesitant group (n=75, 22.93%), and the vaccine refusal group (n=77, 23.54%). Gender, age, education level, university, and previous experience with COVID-19 were not significant predictors for vaccine acceptance. The confirmed barriers to the COVID-19 vaccine concern available information, effectiveness, safety, and adverse effects. This work highlights the need for an educational strategy about the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine. Medical students should be educated about the benefits of vaccination for themselves and their families and friends. The Vaccine acceptant students' influence should not be neglected with a possible ambassador role to hesitant and resistant students.

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

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Noura Altulahi ◽  
Shouq AlNujaim ◽  
Azzam Alabdulqader ◽  
Abdullah Alkharashi ◽  
Assaf AlMalki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Herd Immunity ◽  
Vaccine Safety ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Vaccine Uptake ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Considerable Proportion ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
High School Degree ◽  
Validated Questionnaire

Abstract 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.

scholarly journals Confidence, Acceptance and Willingness to Pay for the COVID-19 Vaccine among Migrants in Shanghai, China: A Cross-Sectional Study

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 443
Author(s):  
Kaiyi Han ◽  
Mark R. Francis ◽  
Ruiyun Zhang ◽  
Qian Wang ◽  
Aichen Xia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Willingness To Pay ◽  
Migrant Workers ◽  
Vaccine Safety ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Vaccine Acceptance ◽  
Vaccine Information ◽  
Socio Demographic Factors

Understanding the public’s attitude towards COVID-19 vaccination and their acceptance could help facilitate the COVID-19 rollout. This study aimed to assess the acceptance and willingness to pay (WTP) for the COVID-19 vaccine among migrants in Shanghai, China. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 2126 migrants in Shanghai for the period 1–20 November 2020. Convenience sampling was used to recruit respondents in workplaces with large numbers of migrant workers. Multivariable (ordered) logistic regressions were used to examine factors associated with acceptance and WTP of the COVID-19 vaccine. Most (89.1%) migrants would accept COVID-19 vaccination. Over 90.0% perceived the COVID-19 vaccine as important, while only 75.0% and 77.7% perceived vaccines safe and effective. Socio-demographic factors were not significantly associated with vaccine acceptance, but confidence in the importance (OR 8.71, 95% CI 5.89–12.89), safety (OR 1.80, 95% CI 1.24–2.61) and effectiveness (OR 2.66, 95% CI 1.83–3.87) of COVID-19 vaccine was significantly positively associated with vaccine acceptance. The top reasons for vaccine hesitancy were lack of vaccine information and confidence. The proportion of those definitely willing to get the COVID-19 vaccine was 20% lower if paid by themselves than free vaccination. Migrants were willing to pay a median amount of USD 46 for the COVID-19 vaccine. Results show that a high acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine was universal among migrants in Shanghai. Concerns about vaccine safety, effectiveness and high costs of the COVID-19 vaccine may hinder their uptake. Effective health communication to build confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine and subsidies toward the costs of these vaccines are needed to improve uptake.

scholarly journals Attitude and Behaviors towards SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination among Healthcare Workers: A Cross-Sectional Study from Poland

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 218
Author(s):  
Bartosz Szmyd ◽  
Filip Franciszek Karuga ◽  
Adrian Bartoszek ◽  
Katarzyna Staniecka ◽  
Natalia Siwecka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Herd Immunity ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Main Concern ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Occupational Activities ◽  
History Of ◽  
And Behavior

Healthcare workers are particularly exposed to biological risk during their daily occupational activities. Nowadays, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has become one of the most widespread infectious agents. In the current study, we performed a survey on the attitude and behavior of Polish healthcare workers (HCW), which comprise physicians (MD) and administrative healthcare assistants (HA) towards the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination. Our study involved 2300 subjects (42.17% female; 10.96% MD; 5.87% HA). The evaluation was conducted using a Google Forms survey based on original questions and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale—21 Items questionnaire. HCW significantly more often demonstrated their willingness to get vaccinated against the SARS-CoV-2 as compared to the control group (82.95% vs. 54.31%, respectively). The main concern, as regards all groups, was the development of long-term side effects after getting COVID-19 vaccine. The study revealed that depression significantly affects the willingness to get vaccinated. The readiness was significantly strengthened by positive medical history of recommended vaccinations, fear of catching COVID-19, as well as fear of passing on the disease to the relatives. Overall, the percentage of HCW, who want to be vaccinated against COVID-19 remains unsatisfactory. Further works exploring this subject are needed to take a step closer to achieving the herd immunity in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals Parent’s Perspective towards Child COVID-19 Vaccination: An Online Cross-Sectional Study in Mexico

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 290
Author(s):  
Juan Luis Delgado-Gallegos ◽  
Gerardo R. Padilla-Rivas ◽  
Lilia Julieta Gastelum-Arias ◽  
Erika Zuñiga-Violante ◽  
Gener Avilés-Rodríguez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adverse Effects ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Vaccine Acceptance ◽  
Vaccination Programs ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Stepwise Method ◽  
Significant Factors

COVID-19 vaccination programs continue in child populations. Thus, parents’ attitude towards COVID-19 vaccination of their children is crucial for these strategies to succeed. The present study derives from the application of an online COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance & Hesitancy Questionnaire (COV-AHQ) in which we measure parent’s hesitancy towards children’s vaccination (section 4 of the COV-AHQ) and other significant factors. A logistic regression analysis with backward stepwise method was used to quantify the associations between factors and parent’s hesitancy. According to the correlation analysis, the most representative factors predicting vaccine hesitancy/acceptance were positive attitude towards vaccination, parents believing that the COVID-19 vaccine will enhance the economic situation of the country, parents actively researching information, having the willingness to obtain the COVID-19 vaccine themselves, and the possibility of their children developing adverse effects. Our findings also showed that parents are highly interested in having their children vaccinated. Nonetheless, parents expressed high levels of concern involving their children in developing adverse effects from the vaccine. In addition, obtaining influenza immunization prompted interest in obtaining the COVID-19 vaccine, and younger-aged parents are much more concerned with having their children vaccinated. Therefore, in order to ensure successful vaccination programs, policymakers and health authorities should design strategies to gain confidence and provide security amongst the population, including giving continuous information about the benefits of vaccination and presenting the frequency of side effects to bring parents on board with vaccinating their children.

scholarly journals Attitude towards childhood vaccination among parents in a rural area of Trivandrum district

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 1247
Author(s):  
Nithya Girija ◽  
Deena Divakaran Sreelatha ◽  
Benny Purandaran Vasanthamani ◽  
Anil Bindhu Sukumaran ◽  
Regi Jose ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Area ◽  
Vaccine Coverage ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Childhood Vaccination ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Modern World ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Vaccine Acceptance ◽  
Maximum Score

Background: Vaccines are simple and widely accepted as one of the most important medical strategy of modern world in the prevention of morbidity and mortality. In order to ensure the protective benefits of vaccines, it is essential that the vaccine coverage should reach between 80-100% of a population, with required coverage dependent on the concerned vaccine and the illness that it is designed to prevent. Vaccine hesitancy is defined as the reluctance to be vaccinated or have one's children vaccinated. In this study, we assess the attitude of parents towards childhood vaccinations and the prevalence of vaccine hesitancy among parents in a rural area in Thiruvananthapuram district.Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among parents of children below the age of 15 years, who are residents of a rural area in Thiruvananthapuram district. Data was collected using the parents’ attitude about childhood vaccination (PACV) survey, with the consent of the participants. The collected data entered into MS Excel and analysis was carried out using SPSS 20.Results: Out of 100 participating parents, 14 (14%) parents were concerned about the adverse events following immunization (AEFI). At the same time, the maximum score obtained on the PACV scale was just 24 out of 100. Further, vaccine hesitancy among the parents was found to be only 2 (2%).Conclusions: There is good vaccine acceptance among the parents residing in a rural area, even though many are from low socio-economic status. 

scholarly journals COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance is associated with Vaccine Hesitancy, Perceived Risk and Previous Vaccination Experiences

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-23
Author(s):  
İlknur Dolu ◽  
Zeynep Turhan ◽  
Hacer Yalnız Dilcen
Keyword(s):  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Herd Immunity ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
Vaccine Confidence ◽  
High Level

Abstract Objective: This study examines the factors associated with the willingness to get the coronavirus vaccine among individuals aged 18 and above. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Turkey. The participants aged 18 and older were recruited between December 2020 and January 2021 through conventional social media sites. Snowball sampling was used. An anonymous questionnaire consisted of demographics, vaccination experiences, and perceived risk of coronavirus disease. Results: 1202 women and 651 men were included in the data analysis. Findings showed that demographics, vaccinations experience, and perceived risk of getting COVID-19 were explained 37% of the variance in people’s willingness to get the COVID-19 vaccination according to hierarchical logistic regression. Furthermore, increasing age, being male, acquiring positive information about COVID-19 vaccines, having a lower level of vaccine hesitancy, the high level of worry about the COVID-19 and low level of perceptions of the possibility of becoming infected by the COVID-19 were the main predictors of COVID-19 vaccine willingness. Conclusions: Factors affecting adults’ willingness to be inoculated with COVID-19 vaccines were related to demographics, vaccination experiences, and perceived risk of getting COVID-19. We recommend that public health authorities and practitioners should consider these multiple factors regarding vaccine confidence to achieve herd immunity.

scholarly journals Understanding COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Pakistan: The paradigm of Confidence, Convenience and Complacency; A Cross-sectional study.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naveen Siddique Sheikh ◽  
Mumtaz Touseef ◽  
Riddah Sultan ◽  
Kanwal Hassan Cheema ◽  
Sidra Shafiq Cheema ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Herd Immunity ◽  
Population Data ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Vaccine Uptake ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Vaccination Programs

Background and objectives: Vaccine hesitancy is a big obstacle for vaccination programs, as is anticipated for the COVID-19 vaccination program, resulting in low uptake of vaccines thereby hindering the process of reaching herd immunity. Bearing this in mind the current study was aimed to explore the determinants of vaccine hesitancy amongst the Pakistani population. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was carried out from the 23rd-31st January 2021. The conceptual framework of the study was based on the 3Cs (Confidence, Convenience, Complacency) model. Google-forms-based questionnaire was disseminated amongst the general population. Data collected were entered into SPSS version 26 and analyzed. Results: Of the 421 participants, 68.4% were females. Non-healthcare workers were 55.8% of respondents. Vaccine hesitant individuals, 26.13% reported they were very unlikely to get vaccinated. Vaccine was not safe as it came out too fast was agreed upon by 12.6% individuals, 50.6% were worried about experiencing side-effects, 18% believed vaccine will not offer protection and 5.9% believed vaccine would cause death. Low Practice of SOP in non-Healthcare workers was the strongest contributor to vaccine hesitancy (OR: 5.338, p=0.040, 95% CI: 1.082-26.330) followed by High complacency (p=0.026) and Moderate Complacency (OR: 0.212, p=0.007, 95% CI: 0.069-0.654) towards COVID-19 vaccination. In Healthcare workers the strongest contributor to vaccine hesitancy was having a Moderate Confidence (OR: 0.323, p=0.042, 95% CI: 0.109-0.958) in the vaccine followed by Moderate Convenience (OR: 0.304, p=0.049, 95% CI: 0.093-0.993) for vaccination Conclusion: Campaigning and communication strategies to reaffirm confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine and educating the general population about the vaccine could lead to increased perception of vaccine safety and effectiveness thereby restoring confidence in vaccine and decreasing vaccine hesitancy. Likewise, working to increase vaccine convenience and decreasing complacency towards the COVID-19 vaccine would translate into high vaccine uptake.

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