Health Professionals’ COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance and Associated Factors in Tertiary Hospitals of South-West Ethiopia: A Multi-Center Cross- Sectional Study

Abstract

Background Acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine by health professionals highly influences the communities’ decision to receive the vaccine, because health professionals are perceived to be a reliable source of health information. Hence, this study aimed at assessing COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and associated factors among health professionals in two tertiary hospitals in southwest Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 319 health professionals working in Jimma University Medical Center and Mizan-Tepi university teaching hospital, southwest Ethiopia, from June 30, 2021 to July 30, 2021. Data were collected by a structured self-administered questionnaire and analyzed by SPSS version 23. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify independent factors associated with health professionals’ covid-19 vaccine acceptance. Variables with P-value < .25 on univariate analysis were candidates for multivariate logistic regression. Then, variables with P-value < .05 at 95% CI in multivariate logistics regression were considered statistically significant. Results Of the total participants, 232 (72.73%) received COVID-19 vaccines. Among non-vaccinated health care professionals, 82 (94.3%) of them stated, worries about the safety and side effects of the vaccines, as the reason for non-acceptance. Factors such as, friends or families diagnosed with COVID-19 (AOR = .086; CI: 95%, .041–.18; P = .001), and attitudes and beliefs about COVID-19 and its vaccine (AOR = .129; CI: 95%, .037–.449; P = .001), were significantly associated with the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine. Conclusion More than one-fourth of health professionals who did not accept COVID-19 vaccines require immediate intervention through awareness creation on the safety and adverse effects of the vaccine by the government and other stakeholders. Otherwise, the community may in large reject the vaccine as they trust health professionals.

Health Professionals' Knowledge, Attitude and Practices Regarding COVID-19 in Dessie City, Northeast Ethiopia: A Facility-Based Cross-Sectional Study

“…Besides, 10.5% of them believe that people should not bother about COVID-19 precaution measures. That is why around 20–30% of the HPs are currently hesitant/delayed to take the COVID-19 vaccine once it became available ( 12 , 13 ). The reason might be low perceived susceptibility to getting infected and/or severe COVID-19 outcomes, or it might show desperation to combat the virus, but it is largely undiscovered and similar findings are rare in literature.…”

COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance and Associated Factors Among College Students in Dessie City, Northeastern Ethiopia

“…The data was collected using a structured questionnaire adapted from previous published papers [23][24][25][26][27]29,30,34,[37][38][39][40][41] and contextualized according to the study setting. The questionnaire consists of socio-demographic characteristics of the participants, socio-political perception and attitude towards COVID-19 vaccine, and willingness towards the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine.…”

“…1,21 Many Ethiopians are reluctant to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. [24][25][26][27]29,30 Forty eight percent of the study populations are unsure about the COVID-19 vaccines, according to a global assessment of possible COVID-19 vaccine approval. 5 Consequently, in May 2020, the 73rd World Health Assembly passed a resolution endorsing broad immunization as a global public health objective for halting the spread of SARS-CoV-2.…”

COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptability Among Healthcare Facility Workers in Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda: A Multi-Centre Cross-Sectional Survey

“…These associations were not observed in this study. However, reported intent to get vaccinated in Goma was associated with perceptions that the COVID-19 pandemic and the country's response to the pandemic were having negative impacts on the country (for example, on healthcare services or the economy) and, as seen in previous studies of healthcare workers in Malawi, South Africa and Ethiopia [22,34,35], with positive perceptions of the vaccines' efficacy/effectiveness and impact against SARS-CoV-2 infection or COVID-19 disease.…”