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

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.

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COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Acceptance among Medical Students: An Online Cross-sectional Study in Iraq

Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences ◽

10.3889/oamjms.2021.7399 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (A) ◽

pp. 955-958

Author(s):

Batool Mutar Mahdi

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Population Immunity ◽

Vaccination Acceptance ◽

Vaccination Decision ◽

Acceptance Rates ◽

Study Participants

BACKGROUND: Vaccine hesitancy and reluctant had an important obstacle in achieving protection and population immunity against coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19). It is essential to achieve high COVID-19 vaccination acceptance rates among medical students and health care workers to provide recommendations and counseling vaccine hesitant population. AIM: This study aims to identify level of COVID-19 hesitancy, attitude, knowledge, and factors that affect vaccination decision. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was done among medical students in Al-Kindy College of Medicine, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq. Data collection was done through an online Google Forms questionnaire during 2021 from 810 medical students. RESULTS: A total of 810 adults’ medical students participated in this study. The majority of the study participants were female (488, 60.2%) while males were 322, 39.8%. Vaccine concept hesitancy among males was 65.21% and rest were vaccinated (34.78%) (OR = 0.13) (95% CI = 0.096–0.177) (p = 0.0001). Same hesitancy from COVID-19 vaccine was same with females (66.80%). CONCLUSIONS: This study evaluated and shed light on vaccine hesitancy among sample of Iraqi medical students toward COVID-19 vaccination program and considered medical students as leaders and guides in the health system for increased planning and education of the population for COVID-19 vaccine acceptability.

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

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9050443 ◽

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.

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Acceptance of COVID-19 Vaccine among the Healthcare Workers in the Eastern Cape, South Africa: A Cross Sectional Study

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9060666 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 666

Author(s):

Oladele Vincent Adeniyi ◽

David Stead ◽

Mandisa Singata-Madliki ◽

Joanne Batting ◽

Matthew Wright ◽

...

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Eastern Cape ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Level Of Education ◽

Vaccine Refusal ◽

High Level

Background: This study assesses the perceptions and acceptance of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccination. It also examines its influencing factors among the healthcare workers (HCWs) in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Methods: In this cross-sectional study performed in November and December 2020, a total of 1308 HCWs from two large academic hospitals participated in the Eastern Cape Healthcare Workers Acquisition of SARS-CoV-2 (ECHAS) study. Validated measures of vaccine hesitancy were explored using a questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to identify the determinants of vaccine hesitancy. Results: The majority were nurses (45.2%), and at risk for unfavourable Covid-19 outcome, due to obesity (62.9%) and having direct contact with individuals confirmed to have Covid-19 (77.1%). The overall acceptance of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine was 90.1%, which differed significantly by level of education. Individuals with lower educational attainment (primary and secondary education) and those with prior vaccine refusal were less likely to accept the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. However, positive perceptions about the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine were independently associated with vaccine acceptance. Conclusions: The high level of acceptance of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine is reassuring; however, HCWs with a lower level of education and those with prior vaccine refusal should be targeted for further engagements to address their concerns and fears.

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

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9090948 ◽

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.

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