scholarly journals COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in Healthcare Personnel: A University Hospital Experience

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 1343
Author(s):  
Beril Kara Esen ◽  
Gunay Can ◽  
Betul Zehra Pirdal ◽  
Sumeyye Nur Aydin ◽  
Aysenur Ozdil ◽  
...  

Healthcare workers are among risk groups in the COVID-19. Even if they are not infected with the disease, they witness the effects of the pandemic. The aim of the study is to determine the factors affecting COVID-19 vaccination status and reasons for vaccine hesitancy of healthcare personnel in our hospital. Firstly, the vaccination status and demographic characteristics of all healthcare personnel was evaluated. After that, a survey was applied to 408 vaccinated and 297 nonvaccinated personnel. Within the first month after the beginning of vaccination, 66% of 3937 healthcare personnel received a COVID-19 vaccine. The number of vaccinated personnel was higher among doctors, master graduates or higher educational levels and basic science-laboratory unit workers. In the surveyed group, being under the age of 50 (OR:1.85), being nondoctor healthcare personnel (nurse/midwife OR:1.78, administrative personnel OR:3.42, patient attendant/cleaning staff OR:4.11, security guard/other OR:2.96), having had the disease before (OR:2.36), not having the flu vaccine (OR:3.24) and hesitancy about other vaccines (OR:6.61) were found to be independent risk factors for not having a COVID-19 vaccine or having it late. The three most common reasons for not getting vaccinated were doubt on the efficacy of the vaccine, distrust of its content, and fear of side effects. Taking steps by considering the main factors of hesitancy among healthcare personnel will increase the vaccine acceptance.

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 1725-33
Author(s):  
Seher Kurtul ◽  
Funda Kaya Ak ◽  
Meral Türk

Background: Hypertension is a serious disease with increasing worldwide prevalence, leading to life-threatening complica- tions. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in a university hospital. The Occupational Health and Safety Unit data concerning the health examinations of employees were used to determine the prevalence of hypertension in a university hospital and to define the relationship between hypertension and sociodemographic and occupational parameters. Logistic regression analyses were performed for the variables having a significant association with high blood pressure. Results: The data generated during the periodic examination of 3,480 (92%) of all employees (3,780) were analyzed. The prevalence of hypertension was 14.8%. The prevalence of hypertension was found to be 13.5%, 13.9%, and 23.7% among physicians, non-physician healthcare personnel and officers respectively. The logistic regression model revealed a statistically significant correlation between hypertension and male gender, age and BMI. Conclusion: The prevalence of hypertension was highest among staff members. Special programs would facilitate the diagnosis, control, and prevention of high blood pressure among the high-risk groups, especially men, the elderly and the obese hospital employees. Keywords: Hypertension; hospital; health care worker.


Author(s):  
Caterina Ledda ◽  
Claudio Costantino ◽  
Mario Cuccia ◽  
Helena C. Maltezou ◽  
Venerando Rapisarda

Vaccines constitute highly effective tools for controlling and eliminating vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) and are assessed to avert between two to three million deaths per year globally. Healthcare personnel (HCP) constitute a priority group for several vaccinations. However, studies indicate significant rates of vaccine hesitancy among them and, therefore, of acceptance of vaccination recommendations. This cross-sectional study was conducted in a university hospital in Southern Italy to assess the knowledge and attitudes of HCP about VPDs before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, estimate their intention to get vaccinated against COVID-19, and search for determinants that may influence their choice. A self-administered questionnaire was used. HCP improved their knowledge about VPDs and were more favorable to vaccinations in September–December 2020 compared to January–December 2019. Overall, 75% of respondents would get a COVID-19 vaccine. Our findings indicate a potential role of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on Italian HCP’s knowledge and attitudes towards vaccines.


Author(s):  
Antonella Arghittu ◽  
Marco Dettori ◽  
Antonio Azara ◽  
Davide Gentili ◽  
Antonello Serra ◽  
...  

The aim of this work is to evaluate the attitudes, behaviours, and knowledge of health workers employed at an Italian University Hospital on the topic of vaccinations and in regard to flu vaccination. To this end, the study provided for the articulation of a computerised questionnaire on the digital platform EUSurvey which was administered online via e-mail to a sample of 457 health workers, in the period between November 2018 and March 2019. The data were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. In particular, a logistic regression analysis was carried out in order to evaluate the relationship between the variables collected and the dichotomous outcome (vaccinated/unvaccinated subjects in the 2018–2019 season). The results, in line with what has been reported by the literature, highlighted that vaccine hesitancy is prevalent also among health workers. Furthermore, according to our study, only 30.6% of the health care workers had the flu vaccination. The survey points out the need to plan educational and informative interventions aimed at changing the attitudes, behaviours, and knowledge of health workers in the field of flu vaccination, for the purpose of protecting the health of healthcare personnel and their patients.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salime Goharinezhad

BACKGROUND World Health Organization declared the vaccine hesitancy as a global public health threat in 2019. Since even a slight reduction in vaccine coverage rates can lead to a decrease in herd immunity, it is imperative to explore the underlying factors affecting vaccine hesitancy. in specific contexts, considering socioeconomic and cultural variation, to ensure interventions targeting hesitancy are well formulated and intervened. OBJECTIVE The main objective of this study is to identify underlying factors affecting vaccine hesitancy in Iran. METHODS A framework qualitative study will be conducted in the west of Tehran province in 2020. Participants in the study will be recruited hesitance-parents who extracted from the SIB system (an electronic health record in Iran) to maximize diversity. Interviews will be analyzed based on ''Determinants of Vaccine Hesitancy Matrix'' which developed by the WHO-SAGE Working Group. RESULTS deep understanding from the context-specific reasons for vaccine hesitancy cause to formulate better strategies to address them. The ultimate goal of this study is to inform future policies to increase the uptake of the vaccine in Iran. CONCLUSIONS This result of study will show variety opinions about vaccination among different types of socioeconomic and demographic households. The wide range of reasons related to vaccine hesitancy imply to more comprehensive, context-specific interventions. Today, the most important intervention issues focus on improving information about effectiveness and safety of vaccines, while other interventions for promoting vaccination is need to addressed.


Author(s):  
Akane Takamatsu ◽  
Hitoshi Honda ◽  
Tomoya Kojima ◽  
Kengo Murata ◽  
Hilary Babcock

Abstract Objective The COVID-19 vaccine may hold the key to ending the pandemic, but vaccine hesitancy is hindering the vaccination of healthcare personnel (HCP). Design Before-after trial Participants and setting Healthcare personnel at a 790-bed tertiary care center in Tokyo, Japan. Interventions A pre-vaccination questionnaire was administered to HCP to examine their perceptions of the COVID-19 vaccine. Then, a multifaceted intervention involving (1) distribution of informational leaflets to all HCP, (2) hospital-wide announcements encouraging vaccination, (3) a mandatory lecture, (4) an educational session about the vaccine for pregnant or breastfeeding HCP, and (5) allergy testing for HCP at risk of allergic reactions to the vaccine was implemented. A post-vaccination survey was also performed. Results Of 1,575 HCP eligible for enrollment, 1,224 (77.7%) responded to the questionnaire, 43.5% (n =533) expressed willingness to be vaccinated, 48.4% (n = 593) were uncertain, and 8.0% (n=98) expressed unwillingness to be vaccinated. The latter two groups were concerned about the vaccine’s safety rather than its efficacy. Post-intervention, the overall vaccination rate reached 89.7% (1,413/1,575), with 88.9% (614/691) of the pre-vaccination survey respondents who answered “unwilling” or “unsure” eventually receiving a vaccination. In the post-vaccination questionnaire, factors contributing to increased COVID-19 vaccination included information and endorsement of vaccination at the medical center (26.4%; 274/1,037). Conclusions The present, multifaceted intervention increased COVID-19 vaccinations among HCP at a Japanese hospital. Frequent support and provision of information were crucial for increasing the vaccination rate and may be applicable to the general population as well.


Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 300
Author(s):  
Patricia Soares ◽  
João Victor Rocha ◽  
Marta Moniz ◽  
Ana Gama ◽  
Pedro Almeida Laires ◽  
...  

It is critical to develop tailored strategies to increase acceptability of the COVID-19 vaccine and decrease hesitancy. Hence, this study aims to assess and identify factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Portugal. We used data from a community-based survey, “COVID-19 Barometer: Social Opinion”, which includes data regarding intention to take COVID-19 vaccines, health status, and risk perception in Portugal from September 2020 to January 2021. We used multinomial regression to identify factors associated with intention to delay or refuse to take COVID-19 vaccines. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Portugal was high: 56% would wait and 9% refuse. Several factors were associated with both refusal and delay: being younger, loss of income during the pandemic, no intention of taking the flu vaccine, low confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine and the health service response during the pandemic, worse perception of government measures, perception of the information provided as inconsistent and contradictory, and answering the questionnaire before the release of information regarding the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines. It is crucial to build confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine as its perceived safety and efficacy were strongly associated with intention to take the vaccine. Governments and health authorities should improve communication and increase trust.


Author(s):  
Şerif Bora Nazlı ◽  
Fatih Yığman ◽  
Muhammet Sevindik ◽  
Deniz Deniz Özturan

2012 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Weber ◽  
Stephanie A. Consoli ◽  
Emily Sickbert-Bennett ◽  
William A. Rutala

Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap) vaccine is recommended for all healthcare personnel who provide direct patient care unless medically contraindicated. Our university hospital made employment conditional upon receipt of Tdap vaccine. Implementation for newly hired employees quickly resulted in complete compliance, but achieving adherence among current workers required setting a termination date for noncompliance.Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2012;33(1):81-83


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iribhogbe Osede Ignis ◽  
Sonila Tomini

Background: Vaccination of children has played a significant role in reducing early childhood morbidity and mortality from vaccine-preventable diseases; however, some factors act as deterrents in achieving adequate coverage in this susceptible population. Aims & Objectives: The study, therefore, aimed to identify vaccine-related determinants of childhood vaccination as well as determine the relationship between childhood vaccination status and body weight, height, and a child’s body mass index (BMI). Methods: The study was conducted using a cross-sectional design in which 608 caregiver-child pair was recruited sequentially by using a two-stage sampling technique. Structured questionnaires based on the SAGE vaccine hesitancy model were used to interview the participants. Elicited data was analyzed and categorical variables were presented in tables and charts as frequencies, while a chi-square test was used to test the association between the independent and dependent variables. Pearson’s correlation analysis was also done to determine the correlation between vaccination status and weight, height, and BMI of children. Result: The study showed that vaccination coverage was suboptimal (70.56%) in children and was below the expected target of 80%. Although a few (183, 30.10%) of the respondents claimed they would prevent the vaccination of their children due to the fear of needles, the majority (87.50%) will be willing to accept more vaccine doses for their children if there were no pain. While factors such as the experience of adverse reaction (X2 = 13.22, df = 2, p<0.001), crying from pain (X2 = 11.33, df = 2, p<0.001) and the scientific evidence of safety (X2 = 34.63, df = 2, p<0.001) were significantly associated with a complete vaccination status, vaccination status was positively correlated with the weight (r=0.160, p<0.001), height (r=0.081, p=0.023) and BMI (r=0.214, p<0.001) of children in the rural community. Conclusion: Vaccination uptake and coverage can be significantly improved in children by designing and implementing interventional programs that target pharmaceutical and vaccine-specific factors acting as barriers in these rural communities.


Author(s):  
Elena Bertozzi ◽  
Leonard R. Krilov ◽  
Dilys Walker

This paper discusses the creation of two serious games developed by the Engender Games Group with the intention of meeting specific outcomes in the healthcare field. The processes and pitfalls of developing games of this kind are outlined with the intention of demonstrating how game developers and health care professionals can collaborate to produce compelling, fun games that meet specific goals. The Atendiendo el Parto en Casa (Home Birth), game is a collaboration with Drs. Dilys Walker and Carrie Rouse at the University of Washington Medical School to educate traditional midwives working in rural Mexico. The Flu Busters! game is a collaboration with a group of pediatric specialists at Winthrop-University Hospital on Long Island led by Dr. Leonard Krilov which explains how the flu vaccine works and encourages children to get vaccinated.


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