COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance of Pregnant and Lactating Women (PLW) in Czechia: An Analytical Cross-Sectional Study

Pregnant and lactating women (PLW) represent a particular population subset with increased susceptibility for COVID-19 morbidity and mortality, even though the evidence about the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines was delayed due to their initial exclusion from development trials. This unclear situation could have led to increased COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy levels among PLW; therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the attitudes of Czech PLW towards COVID-19 vaccines and the determinants of their attitudes. An analytical cross-sectional survey-based study was carried out in the University Hospital Brno (South Moravia, Czechia) between August and October 2021. The study utilised a self-administered questionnaire (SAQ) adapted from previous instruments used for the same purpose. The SAQ included closed-ended items covering demographic characteristics, clinical and obstetric characteristics, attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination, and potential psychosocial predictors of vaccine acceptance. Out of the 362 included participants, 278 were pregnant (PW) and 84 were lactating women (LW). The overall COVID-19 vaccine acceptance (immediate and delayed) level was substantially high (70.2%), with a significant difference between PW (76.6%) and LW (48.8%). Out of the 70.2% who agreed to receive the vaccine, 3.6% indicated immediate acceptance, and 66.6% indicated delayed acceptance. Only 13.3% of the participants indicated their acceptance of their physician’s vaccination recommendation during pregnancy or while lactating, and 62.2% were against it. Our results agreed with the recent studies that revealed that PW tended to have a high level of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, and they were also inclined to resist professional recommendations because they predominantly preferred to delay their vaccination. The pregnancy trimester, education level, employment status, and previous live births were significant determinants for COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. The most commonly preferred vaccine type was mRNA-based vaccines, followed by viral vector-based and inactivated virus vaccines. The first top priority of PLW was vaccine safety for their children, followed by vaccine safety for the PLW and vaccine effectiveness. Regarding psychosocial predictors, media/social media, trust in the government, the pharmaceutical industry, and healthcare professionals, partners, and a positive risk-benefit ratio were significant promoters for COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. Findings from this study suggest that promotional interventions targeting PLW should use web platforms and focus on vaccine safety evidence, the expected benefits of vaccines and potential harms of the infection.

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Attitude, Familiarity and Religious Beliefs about Vaccination among Health Science and Non-Health Science Students in a Malaysian Public University

European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education ◽

10.3390/ejihpe11040104 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 1462-1473

Author(s):

Ramdan M. Elkalmi ◽

Eman Dyab ◽

Azyyati Mohd Suhaimi ◽

Ali Qais Blebil ◽

Mohamed Hassan Elnaem ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Religious Beliefs ◽

Vaccine Safety ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Health Science ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Attitude Score ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Public ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Mean

Vaccine hesitancy has surfaced globally within the last few decades, and the fears and misconceptions of people about vaccine safety and effectiveness have been identified as key factors for their under-utilization. The familiarity, attitudes, and religious beliefs of the public and of future healthcare practitioners regarding vaccination are extensive areas needing exploration. The present exploratory cross-sectional study was designed, planned and carried out on students enrolled in health science and non-health science courses in one of the public universities of Malaysia. A research instrument that had been formulated, validated and subjected to reliability testing was used to collect the data, which were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. A response rate of 80.8% (n = 202) was obtained: the majority were female (n = 161, 79.7%), and had been vaccinated before (n = 190, 97.5%), while a mere 2% did not support vaccination for reasons pertaining to safety issues. The vaccine familiarity score was 10.79 ± 1.4, which significantly differed among the study disciplines (p < 0.001). The mean of the total attitude score was 14.95 ± 1.5, with no significant difference among demographics being noted. The mean of the total religious beliefs score was 24.29 ± 2.8 and significantly differed based on gender (p = 0.040) and study disciplines (p < 0.001). The current findings showed that the participants were familiar with vaccines and had generally positive attitudes and positive religious beliefs toward vaccination; thus, one can expect that their inclusion in immunization campaigns will generate positive outcomes of the immunization program. Although the current research reported few knowledge gaps, these may be handled with the introduction of a specialized immunization course at an undergraduate level.

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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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Sensitivity to COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness and Safety in Shanghai, China

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9050472 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. 472

Author(s):

Jia Lu ◽

Xiaosa Wen ◽

Qi Guo ◽

Mengdi Ji ◽

Felicia Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Side Effect ◽

Relative Income ◽

Vaccine Safety ◽

Vaccine Effectiveness ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Vaccine Acceptance ◽

Vaccine Candidates ◽

Elderly Parent

Several COVID-19 vaccines have been on the market since early 2021 and may vary in their effectiveness and safety. This study characterizes hesitancy about accepting COVID-19 vaccines among parents in Shanghai, China, and identifies how sensitive they are to changes in vaccine safety and effectiveness profiles. Schools in each township of Minhang District, Shanghai, were sampled, and parents in the WeChat group of each school were asked to participate in this cross-sectional Internet-based survey. Parents responded to questions about hesitancy and were given information about five different COVID-19 vaccine candidates, the effectiveness of which varied between 50 and 95% and which had a risk of fever as a side effect between 5 and 20%. Overall, 3673 parents responded to the survey. Almost 90% would accept a vaccine for themselves (89.7%), for their child (87.5%) or for an elderly parent (88.5%) with the most ideal attributes (95% effectiveness with 5% risk of fever). But with the least ideal attributes (50% effectiveness and a 20% risk of fever) these numbers dropped to 33.5%, 31.3%, and 31.8%, respectively. Vaccine hesitancy, age at first child’s birth, and relative income were all significantly related to sensitivity to vaccine safety and effectiveness. Parents showed a substantial shift in attitudes towards a vaccine based on its safety and effectiveness profile. These findings indicate that COVID-19 vaccine acceptance may be heavily influenced by how effective the vaccine actually is and could be impeded or enhanced based on vaccines already on the market.

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Vaccine hesitancy among healthcare providers during COVID-19 pandemic

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckab164.101 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 31 (Supplement_3) ◽

Author(s):

F Algabbani ◽

A Algabbani

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Providers ◽

Vaccine Safety ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Vaccine Acceptance ◽

Web Based ◽

Global Health Issue ◽

Vaccine Confidence ◽

And Control

Abstract Public trust in vaccines is a major global health issue. This study aims to assess the vaccine acceptance among healthcare workers and their confidence and hesitancy of the COVID19 vaccine. This was a multicenter cross-sectional survey conducted among healthcare providers in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. Data collection was carried out between October and November of 2020 through a web-based survey. COVID19 vaccine hesitancy was assessed using eight structured items adapted from the 5Cs. About 34.6% (95% CI: 27.6%-42.4%) of participants were willing to vaccinate against COVID-19 and 44% (95% CI: 36.5%-51.9%) will recommend the vaccine to their patients. About 45% of participants were neutral regarding vaccine safety and 40% were neutral regarding vaccine effectiveness. Almost 70% believe that the duration of clinical studies of the COVID-19 vaccines affects their confidence in the efficacy and safety of the vaccine. Those who never hesitated or delayed taking any of the recommended vaccination were more likely to be willing to vaccinate COVID-19 (OR 5.46, 95% CI: 2.49-11.98). Assessing the level of vaccine confidence in the population and associated factors will help implement an effective national vaccine program to enhance vaccination uptake and control COVID19 spread during this pandemic. Key messages Vaccine hesitancy is challenging vaccination goals at the national and global level. Hesitancy from the population toward vaccine and concerns regarding its safety and efficacy was observed with the development of a novel vaccine for COVID19 a newly emerged infection.

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COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance in Mukalla City, Yemen

10.21203/rs.3.rs-1006327/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Abdulla Bin-Ghouth ◽

Khaled Hussien Al-Kaldy

Keyword(s):

Health Workers ◽

Vaccine Safety ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Vaccine Acceptance ◽

Negative Role ◽

High Level

Abstract Background: In Yemen the epidemiology of COVID19 is uncertain. Yemen received the first batch of AstraZeneca vaccine in April 2021 and the vaccine campaign starts officially on 20 April 2021 with limited utilization. Media play a negative role about AstraZeneca vaccine safety and efficacy.Objectives: to investigate the acceptance of People and health workers in Mukalla city in Hadharmout (at eastern Yemen) toward the COVID-19 vaccine.Methodology: This is a cross-sectional study to collect data from a convenience sample of health workers and other people during the first week of April 2021. Results: A total of 321 persons agree to participate in the study. Only 9% of the participants and 22% of health workers have knowledge about the COVID19 vaccine, only 15% of people and 26% of health workers agree to get the vaccine while 241 participants (75%) hesitated to get the vaccine. The most reasons for vaccine hesitancy were: the vaccine were arrived to Yemen of bad quality (69%), while 48% of hesitated participants said that the vaccine is unsafe, other reasons for unacceptance the vaccine are: regional believes (38%), other countries stop the vaccine (37%) while 16% of refused participants said that the reason is that the virus is subject to mutation so no need to vaccinate. Conclusions: Lack of knowledge about COVID-19 vaccine and high level of vaccine hesitancy were reported, the most frequent reasons for not accepted the vaccine are: bad quality of the vaccine and doubts about vaccine safety.

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COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, hesitancy, and determinants among physicians in a university-based teaching hospital in Thailand

BMC Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1186/s12879-021-06863-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

May Sirikalyanpaiboon ◽

Krittin Ousirimaneechai ◽

Jeerath Phannajit ◽

Panyavee Pitisuttithum ◽

Watsamon Jantarabenjakul ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Multivariable Analysis ◽

Significant Proportion ◽

Individual Preference ◽

High Rate ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Negative Attitudes ◽

Vaccine Acceptance ◽

Vaccine Type ◽

The Government

Abstract Background The COVID-19 vaccines provide renewed hope in the fight against the recent pandemic. To ensure widespread vaccination, it is crucial to analyze vaccine willingness and its determinants among physicians, key health care influencers. This study aimed to assess acceptance rate and identify factors associated with vaccine hesitancy among Thai physicians. Methods A cross-sectional online-based questionnaire was distributed to all physicians at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital during March 31, 2021 to April 30, 2021 in order to assess their attitudes toward receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Reasons for vaccine acceptance and refusal as well as predictors of vaccine hesitancy were analyzed by bivariate and multivariable analysis. Results A total of 705 complete responses were received with 95.6% (n = 675) of physicians expressing willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Only one of the 31 physicians (4.4%) who expressed a hesitancy or unwillingness to be vaccinated was a faculty member; the others were physicians-in-training. Approximately one-fifths of physicians surveyed were also not willing to recommend the vaccine to their family members (21.4%, n = 151) or patients (18.7%, n = 132). Using multivariable logistic regression, vaccine hesitancy was independently associated with preference for particular vaccines over the government allocated option, especially for mRNA vaccine (aOR 8.86; 95% CI 1.1–71.54; p = 0.041). Vaccine literacy showed an inverse relationship (aOR 0.34; 95% CI 0.13–0.9; p = 0.029) with vaccine hesitancy. Uncertainty of the vaccine efficacy (83.9%) and fear of adverse events (48.4%) were major concerns contributing to vaccine hesitancy. Conclusion This study revealed a high rate of physician willingness to take the COVID-19 vaccine especially among staffs; however, a significant proportion would not currently suggest vaccination to their families or patients. Restrictions on vaccine choice and vaccine illiteracy, together with concerns over adverse effects and uncertainty of efficacy, were associated with negative attitudes toward vaccination. To raise acceptance of the vaccination program, efforts should be made to balance individual preference for vaccine type in addition to increasing the availability of accurate data on safety and efficacy for each vaccine.

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439. Corowa-kun: Impact of a COVID-19 Vaccine Information Chatbot on Vaccine Hesitancy, Japan 2021

Open Forum Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1093/ofid/ofab466.638 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S321-S322

Author(s):

Takaaki Kobayashi ◽

Yuka Nishina ◽

Hana Tomoi ◽

Ko Harada ◽

Eiyu Matsumoto ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Logistic Regression ◽

Text Messages ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Vaccine Acceptance ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Vaccine Information ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background Japan has one of the highest vaccine hesitancy rates in the world. According to a previous study, less than 30% of people strongly agreed that vaccines were safe, important, or effective. We created a COVID-19 vaccine information chatbot in a popular messenger app in Japan to answer COVID-19 vaccine frequently asked questions (FAQs) via text messages. We assessed the impact of chatbot text messages on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy by conducting a cross-sectional survey among chatbot users. Methods LINE is the most popular messenger app in Japan; about 86 million people in Japan (roughly two-thirds of the population) use this messenger app. Corowa-kun, a free chatbot, was created in LINE on February 6, 2021. Corowa-kun provides instant, automated answers to frequently asked COVID-19 vaccine questions. A cross-sectional survey assessing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy was conducted via Corowa-kun during April 5 to 12, 2021. We included persons ages 16 years old and older who had not received a COVID-19 vaccine. The survey was written in Japanese and consisted of 21 questions. Corowa-kun’s Consultation Room Corowa-kun is the mascot of an online chatbot. This chatbot in LINE is used to answer COVID-19 vaccine frequently asked questions (FAQs) via text messages. As of May 10th, 70 FAQs are available. Results A total of 59,676 persons used Corowa-kun during February to April 2021. The most commonly accessed message categories were: “I have (select comorbidity), can I get a COVID-19 vaccine?” (23%); followed by questions on adverse reactions (22%) and how the vaccine works (20%). 10,192 users (17%) participated in the survey. Median age was 55 years (range 16 to 97), and most were female (74%). Intention to receive a COVID-19 vaccine increased from 59% to 80% after using Corowa-kun (p < 0.01). Overall, 20% remained hesitant: 16% (1,675) were unsure, and 4% (364) did not intend to be vaccinated. Factors associated with vaccine hesitancy were: age 16 to 34 (odds ratio [OR] = 3.7, 95% confidential interval [CI]: 3.0–4.6, compared to age ≥65), female sex (OR = 2.4, Cl: 2.1–2.8), and history of another vaccine side-effect (OR = 2.5, Cl: 2.2–2.9). Being a physician (OR = 0.2, Cl: 0.1-0.4) and having received a flu vaccine the prior season (OR = 0.4, Cl: 0.3-0.4) were protective. COVID-19 vaccine acceptance increased and hesitancy decreased after using Corowa-kun, Japan, 2021 (n=10,192) *There was a statistically significant difference in responses between before and after using Corowa-kun (p < 0.01, Chi-square test). Univariable logistic regression models of factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, Japan, 2021 (n=10,192) Ref: reference NA: Logistic regression was not performed due to too small number (n≤3) Conclusion Corowa-kun reduced vaccine hesitancy by providing COVID-19 vaccine information in a messenger app. Mobile messenger apps could be leveraged to increase COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

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COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance in a Sample From the United Arab Emirates General Adult Population: A Cross-Sectional Survey, 2020

Frontiers in Public Health ◽

10.3389/fpubh.2021.614499 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Abdulaziz Hussain Albahri ◽

Shahad Ahmed Alnaqbi ◽

Asma Obaid Alshaali ◽

Shatha Ahmed Alnaqbi ◽

Shaikha Mohammad Shahdoor

Keyword(s):

Influenza Vaccine ◽

United Arab Emirates ◽

Vaccine Safety ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Vaccine Acceptance ◽

The Public ◽

The Future ◽

Vaccination Hesitancy

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has placed a tremendous stress on economies and healthcare systems worldwide. Having a vaccine is one of the promising solutions. However, vaccination hesitancy is becoming a recognized future challenge. This study aims to evaluate the current vaccine hesitancy in a segment of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) general public and its associated factors.Methods: This was an online cross-sectional survey that took place from the 14th to the 19th of September 2020 across the UAE. The questionnaire asked the participants about their willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in the future. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between vaccination willingness and the participants' sociodemographic factors, experiences and beliefs regarding COVID-19, and previous influenza vaccine uptake.Results: There was a total of 2,705 participants; 72.5% were females, and 69.8% were Emirati nationals. A total of 1,627 (60.1%) participants were willing to take the COVID-19 vaccine in the future. There were statistically significant associations between the following factors and vaccine acceptance: male gender, non-Emiratis, younger age group, residents of Sharjah and the Northern Emirates, having lesser educational attainment, perceived increased personal or public risk of contracting the disease [aOR = 1.71, 95% CI (1.35–2.17), p < 0.0001; aOR = 1.84, 95% CI (1.44–2.36), p < 0.0001, respectively], and increased perception of serious outcome from the disease. Conversely, vaccine hesitancy was associated with unemployment, not receiving the influenza vaccine within the past 2 years [aOR = 0.36, 95% CI (0.30–0.44), p < 0.0001], not believing in the seriousness of the COVID-19 situation or the vaccine's ability to control the pandemic, and not believing that the public authorities are handling the pandemic adequately. Having contracted the disease or knowing someone who has did not show a statistically significant association with vaccine acceptance. Vaccine safety, side effects, and the belief that one needs to develop immunity naturally were the top reasons for vaccination hesitancy.Conclusion: Given the level of vaccine hesitancy in the study population, this needs to be evaluated in a more representative sample of the whole population. If confirmed, this would signify the need for coordinated local and international initiatives to combat vaccine misinformation and reassure the public regarding vaccine safety and efficacy.

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Willingness of Black and White Adults to Accept Vaccines in Development: An Exploratory Study Using National Survey Data

American Journal of Health Promotion ◽

10.1177/0890117120979918 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 089011712097991

Author(s):

Sandra Crouse Quinn ◽

Yuki Lama ◽

Amelia Jamison ◽

Vicki Freimuth ◽

Veeraj Shah

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

Social Science Research ◽

Science Research ◽

Chronic Health Condition ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Cancer Type ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Black And White ◽

Vaccine Type ◽

Vaccine Confidence

Purpose: Explore acceptability of vaccines in development: cancer, Type II diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, Lyme disease, Ebola, and obesity. Research questions: To what extent does acceptability vary by vaccine type? To what extent does acceptability of vaccines in development vary by race and other key demographics? To what extent are general vaccine hesitancy and key demographics associated with acceptability of vaccines in development? Design: Cross-sectional online survey administered through GfK’s KnowledgePanel in 2015. Analysis completed in 2020. Subjects: Nationally representative sample of Black and White American adults (n = 1,643). Measures: Willingness to accept a novel vaccine was measured on a 4-point Likert scale. Independent variables included demographics (e.g. age, race, gender) and measures of vaccine hesitancy, trust, and the “Three C’s” of vaccine confidence, complacency, and convenience. Analysis: Exploratory analysis including descriptive statistics and regression modeling. Results: Acceptability varied from 77% for a cancer vaccine to 55% for an obesity vaccine. White race, male gender, older age, having a chronic health condition, and higher socioeconomic status were associated with higher acceptability. Higher vaccine confidence and lower vaccine hesitancy were predictors for acceptability. Conclusion: The success of a vaccine depends on widespread public acceptance. Vaccine hesitancy may hinder acceptance of future vaccines, with significant differences by demographics. Future social science research is necessary to better understand and address vaccine hesitancy.

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Real-World Acceptance of COVID-19 Vaccines among Healthcare Workers in Perinatal Medicine in China

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9070704 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (7) ◽

pp. 704

Author(s):

Biyun Xu ◽

Xuelian Gao ◽

Xinyue Zhang ◽

Yali Hu ◽

Huixia Yang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

General Population ◽

Real World ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Vaccine Safety ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Present Survey ◽

Perinatal Medicine ◽

Vaccine Acceptance ◽

Questionnaire Online ◽

Convincing Data

Surveys showed that vaccine hesitancy may influence the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines in healthcare workers (HCWs) and the general population. Currently, the actual acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination in HCWs has rarely been reported. In the present survey, we investigated the real-world acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination in HCWs in perinatal medicine during the first three-month period of vaccination in China and to identify the main reason for the decline of vaccination. HCWs (1087) who participated in a Chinese national symposium on perinatal medicine during 16–18 April 2021 were invited to answer a 27-question questionnaire online. A total of 1051 HCWs completed the questionnaire. Of them, 86.2% (906/1051) accepted the COVID-19 vaccination and 13.8% (145/1051) declined the vaccination. Because of the vaccine hesitancy, one-fourth of the vaccinated participants did not accept the vaccination until consulted with others or requested by employers. The main reason for the decline of vaccination in 145 unvaccinated HCWs was the concern about vaccine safety. The results indicate that vaccination request by employers may promote vaccine acceptance. More convincing data on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines appears to be important to increase the acceptance of vaccination.

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