Healthcare workers’ (HCWs) attitudes and related factors towards COVID-19 vaccination: a rapid systematic review

Abstract

Herd immunity through vaccination is a key measure to control COVID-19 pandemic. However, vaccine hesitancy remains a public health threat, which is still common among healthcare workers (HCWs). This systematic review aimed to synthesise evidence on HCWs’ attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination and analyse associated factors to provide information for vaccine policy development and practice. We searched PubMed, Embase, ScienceDirect, Web of Science and three Chinese databases for literature published on 12 February 2021. Two researchers screened the literature independently, and 13 studies were included in the systematic review. Vaccine acceptance varied widely and ranged from 27.7% to 77.3%. HCWs had positive attitudes towards future COVID-19 vaccines, while vaccine hesitancy was still common. Demographic variables such as men, older age and physicians were positive predictive factors. Women and nurses had more vaccine hesitancy. Previous influenza vaccination and self-perceived risk were facilitators. Concerns for safety, efficacy and effectiveness and distrust of the government were barriers. Influences of direct (COVID-19) patient care towards vaccination intention were less conclusive. Tailored communication strategies were needed to increase the uptake rate of COVID-19 vaccines among HCWs. More importantly, more data and information on the safety and efficacy of vaccines should be provided with transparency.

Evaluation of COVID-19 Vaccine Attitudes among Arab American Healthcare Professionals Living in the United States

“…Even though this observation was not sustained in multivariable models, this finding is very important for public health purposes, as it has been hypothesized that this attitude may be related to misinformation about the effect of the vaccine on a female's fertility [22,32]. Furthermore, prior studies have shown higher vaccine confidence levels among male healthcare workers compared to their female counterparts [15,33], a finding that was also noted in a large survey of Arabs in the general population [14].…”

“…As almost half of our study respondents were physicians with professional degrees and earnings over $150,000/year, we hypothesize that in addition to additional education, financial stability may have a role to play in accessing credible and scientific information, which may impact attitudes regarding receipt of the COVID-19 vaccine. A recently published systematic review similarly noted that higher healthcare worker income and education were independently associated with COVID-19 vaccine acceptance [15].…”

“…Amongst healthcare providers from the Arab world, one survey noted the vaccine acceptance rate was as low as 26.7%, and acceptance varied between countries [10]. Recent literature also suggests that Arab-speaking physicians have higher receptivity of COVID-19 vaccines when compared to nursing and allied health professionals [15]. According to Arab-speaking healthcare providers, the most frequently chosen barrier to vaccine acceptance was fear of side effects [10].…”

Compulsory Vaccination for Healthcare Workers in Italy for the Prevention of SARS-CoV-2 Infection

“…About 80% of them stated that the vaccination choice was motivated by the desire to protect themselves as well as other individuals (patients in the first place) [5]. From a recent systematic review dedicated to vaccination hesitation in HCWs, we know that nine studies mentioned that the most common concern about vaccination among HCWs was vaccine safety [6]. Safety concerns mainly included potential side effects, especially long-term ones.…”

“…Lacking knowledge and appropriate information on vaccine safety, HCWs were reluctant to get vaccinated. They would rather wait for more data to be reviewed, see how the vaccine affects others, and want more information on the safety and efficacy of vaccines [6].…”