The Nature and Extent of COVID-19 Vaccination Hesitancy in Healthcare Workers

Abstract

COVID-19 vaccines were approved in late 2020 and early 2021 for public use in countries across the world. Several studies have now highlighted COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy in the general public. However, little is known about the nature and extent of COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy in healthcare workers worldwide. Thus, the purpose of this study was to conduct a comprehensive worldwide assessment of published evidence on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among healthcare workers. A scoping review method was adopted to include a final pool of 35 studies in this review with study sample size ranges from n = 123 to 16,158 (average = 2185 participants per study). The prevalence of COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy worldwide in healthcare workers ranged from 4.3 to 72% (average = 22.51% across all studies with 76,471 participants). The majority of the studies found concerns about vaccine safety, efficacy, and potential side effects as top reasons for COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy in healthcare workers. The majority of the studies also found that individuals who were males, of older age, and doctoral degree holders (i.e., physicians) were more likely to accept COVID-19 vaccines. Factors such as the higher perceived risk of getting infected with COVID-19, direct care for patients, and history of influenza vaccination were also found to increase COVID-19 vaccination uptake probability. Given the high prevalence of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in healthcare workers, communication and education strategies along with mandates for clinical workers should be considered to increase COVID-19 vaccination uptake in these individuals. Healthcare workers have a key role in reducing the burden of the pandemic, role modeling for preventive behaviors, and also, helping vaccinate others.

COVID-19 Vaccination: Status and Willingness to Be Vaccinated among Employees in Health and Welfare Care in Germany

“…The concerns cited by the respondents with regard to the COVID-19 vaccines were largely shared with participants in other studies [16][17][18]24]. To counteract these concerns, it may be helpful to highlight what is known so far about the adverse effects of COVID-19, so that people can weigh the risks and benefits of vaccination.…”

“…A scoping review of vaccination willingness among HCWs shows that an average of 22.5% refuse to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or remain hesitant. Concerns about the safety, efficacy, and side effects of the coronavirus vaccines were the most common reasons for hesitating or refusing immunization [ 17 ]. In addition, individuals who reported having been vaccinated against influenza in the past were more likely to be vaccinated against COVID-19 [ 17 , 18 , 19 ].…”

What Prompts Doctors to Recommend COVID-19 Vaccines: Is It a Question of Positive Emotion?

“…Trust in vaccines, positive emotions, and locus of control were high predictors of recommendation; some research has shown that age, as a factor capable of affecting perceived risk, inversely influences fear and hesitation in vaccines in healthcare personnel [27][28][29]; however, the results on the present sample confirmed a more positive perception and greater confidence in the vaccines of younger healthcare professionals [30]. Future research will have to clarify exactly the role of age concerning the various variable trusts, recommendations, hesitancy, and fear for vaccine.…”

Assessing the Knowledge and Attitude toward COVID-19 Vaccination in Saudi Arabia

“…Several studies have highlighted that COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among the public could be a potential threat to global public health [5][6][7][8][9]. However, little is known about the reasons and factors behind vaccine hesitancy in the Saudi population.…”