Attitude and acceptance of Covid-19 vaccine amongst medical and dental fraternity - a questionnaire survey

Abstract

Background. The second wave of Novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2) is proving more disastrous than the first because of the new mutant stains. Under these circumstances, vaccination is the only effective solution that can save millions of lives across the globe. Objectives. The present study was conducted to assess the attitude and acceptance/willingness of health care professionals (medical and dental) towards COVID-19 vaccine. Materials and Methods. An online questionnaire survey was conducted among medical and dental professionals working in different hospitals of two states of India. A total of 520 subjects constituted the final sample size. A self-constructed questionnaire (divided into 2 parts) containing 12 questions was administered to obtain information from the subjects regarding their attitude and willingness towards COVID 19 vaccine. Statistical analysis was done using chi-square test and multiple liner regression analysis. Odds ratio with 95% CI were also generated. Statistical significance was set at p≤0.05. Results. Majority of the subjects (67% of dental and 73% of medical) had full confidence on the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccine. Willingness to get vaccinated was shown by 63% of subjects and 65% had positive attitude towards vaccine. Some subjects (45.5% dental and 48.4% medical) showed concern regarding unforeseen effects of the vaccine. Willingness to get vaccinated was 3.45 higher in subjects who were involved in COVID duties. Subjects giving less preference to natural immunity over vaccine showed more willingness (OR: 2.98) towards getting the vaccine. Conclusion. The findings of the study showed that acceptance and attitude of subjects regarding COVID 19 vaccine was suboptimal as there were various factors which contributed towards subjects’ hesitancy to get vaccinated. There is an utmost need to address various issues regarding vaccine safety to promote high uptake.

Predictors of unwillingness to receive COVID -19 vaccines among Ethiopian Medical students

“…According to this study, 40.7% with 95% CI (35.1,46.4) medical students were unwilling to recive COVID 19 vaccine., this finding is consistent with a similar study in Uganda [11,25], but higher than a similar study in Egypt and Kazakhstan [9,10,26]. There is also another study that reports higher proportions like china, India [26], and Israel [21,[27][28][29].…”

Perception of COVID-19 Booster Dose Vaccine among Healthcare Workers in India and Saudi Arabia

“…A study of healthcare workers in two Indian hospitals assessed attitudes and willingness to accept the COVID-19 vaccination. Among the 520 participants who responded to the survey, 63% indicated they were willing to be vaccinated, while 46% of dental and 49% of medical HCWs exhibited vaccine reluctance [ 38 ]. A similar study was conducted on HCWs working in a tertiary care center in India; 54% of those surveyed were unaware of the determinants of the COVID vaccine, 20% exhibited reluctance, and 18% indicated strong opposition to the vaccine [ 39 ].…”

Acceptance of COVID-19 Vaccines in India: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Those who participated in COVID-19 tasks showed greater readiness to get immunised. The readiness of respondents to receive the vaccine increased when they gave the vaccine greater emphasis than natural resistance [ 21 ]. Particular antivaccination behaviour and views, anxiety and phobia worries, an insufficient understanding, and concerns about the vaccine’s efficacy were among the causes of vaccine reluctance found among the healthcare professionals of Rishikesh in the study by Kumar R et al [ 23 ].…”

“… Acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine in India according to residence, as shown in the form of a forest plot [ 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 ]. …”