Changes in Attitudes towards the COVID-19 Vaccine and the Willingness to Get Vaccinated among Adults in Poland: Analysis of Serial, Cross-Sectional, Representative Surveys, January–April 2021

Raciborski, Filip; Jankowski, Mateusz; Gujski, Mariusz; Pinkas, Jarosław; Samel-Kowalik, Piotr

doi:10.3390/vaccines9080832

Cited by 28 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…The existing body of research on vaccine hesitancy has shown in Poland a high and relatively stable level of scepticism that even preceded the actual vaccine rollouts [1,28,48,51]. The models implied the existence of even more long-term factors-demographic variables from 2011 or voting patterns from 2015 still had high predictive value in 2021, suggesting underlying patterns unrelated to any recent public opinion swings.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some of them were carried out at a time when a vaccine was a distant solution, and others during the vaccination campaigns in individual countries. They were conducted in Poland [1,2], the United States [3][4][5][6][7], Ireland and the United Kingdom [8,9], Australia [10], Canada [11], France [12], Italy [13][14][15], Portugal [16], Finland [17], Greece [18], China [19,20] and Japan [21]. As a result of multicentre cooperation, surveys in seven European countries [22], seven European countries and the United States [23], three Asian and five African countries [24], 23 Arab countries and territories [25] and 19 countries with a high COVID-19 burden [26] have been conducted.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Predictors of COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign Success: Lessons Learnt from the Pandemic So Far. A Case Study from Poland

Walkowiak

2021

Vaccines

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The high effectiveness of a vaccination-promotion campaign, which may be measured by the number of those successfully convinced to get vaccinated, is a key factor in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. This, however, appears to be linked to the precise identification of the underlying causes for vaccine hesitancy behaviours. Based on a regression model (adjusted R2 of 0.78) analysing 378 sub-regions of Poland, we showed that such behaviours, even when going against the party agenda, can be indirectly yet precisely gauged predominantly through voting patterns. Additionally, education and population density were found to be positively related to low vaccine hesitancy, while markers of social exclusion, both external (employment rate) and psychological (voter turnout) ones, affected it negatively. In the second, follow-up part of our study, which analyses the changes that took place in two months (adjusted R2 of 0.53), we found a further increase in vaccination rate to be positively related to the number of those already vaccinated and to the political views of the population, and negatively related to its level of education. In both cases, there was a surprisingly weak relationship between the potential markers of accessibility and vaccination rate. In spite of the known overall differences in vaccination rates for different age and sex groups, these variables did not have any additional informative value in explaining the observed regional differences.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predictors of COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign Success: Lessons Learnt from the Pandemic So Far. A Case Study from Poland

Walkowiak

2021

Vaccines

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“…In November 2020, only 20% of Poles declared a willingness to vaccinate, and this figure increased to 55% in mid-February 2021 [42,43]. However, during the first four months of 2021, approximately 30% declared a lack of willingness to receive any COVID-19 vaccine, with the main concern related to the potential side effects [44]. Until the present study was initiated, only 50% of the Polish population was fully vaccinated (and 51% received at least one dose) despite extensive science communication efforts and the worsening pandemic situation in the country, encompassing nearly 1.6 million new cases and 47 thousand deaths between January and September 2021.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Willingness to Receive the Booster COVID-19 Vaccine Dose in Poland

2021

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COVID-19 vaccinations are essential to mitigate the pandemic and prevent severe SARS-CoV-2 infections. However, the serum antibody levels in vaccinated individuals gradually decrease over time, while SARS-CoV-2 is undergoing an evolution toward more transmissible variants, such as B.1.617.2, ultimately increasing the risk of breakthrough infections and further virus spread. This cross-sectional online study of adult Poles (n = 2427) was conducted in September 2021 (before a general recommendation to administer a booster COVID-19 vaccine dose in Poland was issued) to assess the attitude of individuals who completed the current vaccination regime toward a potential booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and identify potential factors that may influence it. Overall, 71% of participants declared willingness to receive a booster COVID-19 dose, with a low median level of fear of receiving it of 1.0 (measured by the 10-point Likert-type scale), which was increased particularly in those having a worse experience (in terms of severity of side effects and associated fear) with past COVID-19 vaccination. The lowest frequency of willingness to receive a booster dose (26.7%) was seen in the group previously vaccinated with Ad26.COV2.S. The majority of individuals vaccinated previously with mRNA vaccines wished to receive the same vaccine, while in the case of AZD1222, such accordance was observed only in 9.1%. The main reasons against accepting a booster COVID-19 dose included the side effects experienced after previous doses, the opinion that further vaccination is unnecessary, and safety uncertainties. Women, older individuals (≥50 years), subjects with obesity, chronic diseases, and pre-vaccination and post-vaccination SARS-CoV-2 infections, and those with a history of vaccination against influenza were significantly more frequently willing to receive a booster COVID-19 dose. Moreover, the majority of immunosuppressed individuals (88%) were willing to receive an additional dose. The results emphasize some hesitancy toward potential further COVID-19 vaccination in the studied group of Poles and indicate the main groups to be targeted with effective science communication regarding the booster doses.

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“…Prevention in Poland, apart from the restrictions regulated by law, has also consisted in introducing vaccinations as early as possible. The first vaccination day in this country was 27 December 2020 [18]. By 11 October, 52.61% of Poles were vaccinated, including 51.7% fully vaccinated [19].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We are afraid that vaccination of nearly half of the population will be insufficient and that we will observe an increase in infections, i.e., a "fourth wave". The Polish government is doing a lot to increase the percentage of vaccinated people: it has organized, among others, information campaigns and contests with prizes, has introduced advertisements on TV and other mass media, has launched touring vaccination points and vaccination in pharmacies and shopping malls [18,20].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

COVID-19 Diagnostics Outside and Inside the National Health Service: A Single Institutional Experience

Fuławka¹,

Kuzan

2021

Diagnostics

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The COVID-19 epidemic has been going on continuously for more than 1.5 years. Fast and reliable diagnosis is a key component of an outbreak response strategy. Our goal is to present the statistics from one of the diagnostic points of a large city in Poland. Swabs of the throat or nasopharynx of people reporting for molecular diagnostics of SARS-CoV-2 presence were taken. CE-IVD-certified RNA isolation and RT-PCR assays were used. According to our data, the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the examined population equaled 14.7%; however, large differences were observed depending on where the sampling point was located: as much as 50.3% of positive results for samples collected at a stationary point, 36.2% for samples from inpatients and hospital staff, and only 8.9% for samples from patients whose test was paid by their employer. The age structure of the infected population was fairly even, with a slightly higher number of people over 50 years of age. Men were examined more often, but it was among women that a higher percentage of infection was recorded. Every fifth test was performed for a foreigner, but compared to Poles, a much lower incidence of infection was found in these samples. We conclude that due to the high prevalence of infection in patients from social care centers and in those referred to hospitals, it is recommended that a special sanitary regime is followed in those settings. We will evaluate the effectiveness of vaccinations, expecting that the coming months bring positive changes in the statistics on prevalence.

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Changes in Attitudes towards the COVID-19 Vaccine and the Willingness to Get Vaccinated among Adults in Poland: Analysis of Serial, Cross-Sectional, Representative Surveys, January–April 2021

Cited by 28 publications

References 18 publications

Predictors of COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign Success: Lessons Learnt from the Pandemic So Far. A Case Study from Poland

Predictors of COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign Success: Lessons Learnt from the Pandemic So Far. A Case Study from Poland

Willingness to Receive the Booster COVID-19 Vaccine Dose in Poland

COVID-19 Diagnostics Outside and Inside the National Health Service: A Single Institutional Experience

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