COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among healthcare workers in India: Results from a cross-sectional survey

Abstract

Remarkable scientific progress has enabled expeditious development of effective vaccines against COVID-19. While healthcare workers (HCWs) have been at the frontline of the pandemic response, vaccine acceptance amongst them needs further study. We conducted a web-based survey to assess vaccine acceptance among HCWs in India between January and February 2021, shortly after the launch of India’s vaccination campaign. Descriptive statistics were used to examine respondent demographics and Likert scale responses. Binomial logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with vaccine acceptance. The survey yielded 624 respondents from 25 states and five union territories in India; 53.5% were male, and median age was 37 years (IQR 32–46). Amongst all respondents, 84.1% (525/624) supported COVID-19 vaccines, and 63.2% (141/223) of those unvaccinated at the time of survey administration were willing to accept a vaccine. Trust in government sources, healthcare providers or scientific journal articles for COVID-19 related information was reported by 66.8%, while confidence in social media for this information was reported by only 4.5%. Amongst those who had not yet received a COVID-19 vaccine, factors independently associated with vaccine acceptance included age (aOR 3.50 [95% CI, 1.04–11.76] for those above 45 years compared to younger HCWs aged 18–29 years), belief in vaccine effectiveness and safety (aOR 3.78 [95% CI 1.15–12.38]), and provision of free/no-cost vaccine (aOR 2.63 [95% CI, 1.06–6.50]). Most respondents (80%) were confident about their hospital being equipped to efficiently rollout COVID-19 vaccines to the general population. While overall attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination were positive among HCWs in India, acceptance was lower among healthier and younger HCWs. Data availability on vaccine safety and effectiveness, and cost considerations were important for acceptance. Targeted interventions are needed to improve vaccine acceptance amongst HCWs, since they are critical in promoting vaccine acceptance amongst the general population.

COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance and Hesitancy among Healthcare Workers in Lusaka, Zambia; Findings and Implications for the Future

“…However, vaccine acceptance in our study was lower than that seen in Malawi, where 82.5% of HCWs had received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccines at the time of the study [62], in India where 84.1% of HCWs had been vaccinated [125], and in one study in South Africa where 89% of HCWs had been vaccinated [60]. In addition, the results are lower than those among six LMICs, where over 90% of HCWs had already been vaccinated [58], lower than 92% of HCWs in another study in Nigeria [126], and lower than those seen in Central and West Asian countries where over 96% of HCWs had already been vaccinated when the study was conducted [59].…”

Perception and practices on COVID-19 vaccination and booster dose acceptability among health-care workers – A questionnaire-based study

“…A similar study conducted a year earlier among Indian HCWs from January 24, 2021 to February 28, 2021 showed that only 64.3% received a COVID-19 vaccine. [ 14 ] Thus, it is evident that there has been an increase in the number of vaccinated HCWs from 2021 to 2022, possibly due to accumulating vaccine safety reports and a hike in cases in India in May 2021, and January 2022. Similar findings were observed worldwide with the acceptance rate of the primary vaccination series ranging from 80.9% to 95.2%.…”

Impact of COVID-19 outbreak on healthcare workers in a Tertiary Healthcare Center in India: a cross sectional study

“…In the Indian context, there have been few studies evaluating the association of various clinical characteristics with the outcomes of COVID-19 21 , as well as studies assessing COVID-19 vaccination, amongst HCWs 22 , 23 .…”