The willingness of Chinese healthcare workers to receive monkeypox vaccine and its independent predictors: A cross‐sectional survey

Abstract

The global monkeypox outbreak in 2022 has severely affected the life and health of people. Currently, partial smallpox vaccines have been approved for monkeypox prevention. Considering the potential occupational health risks of monkeypox infection among healthcare workers (HCWs), this study explored the willingness of Chinese HCWs to receive the monkeypox vaccine and analyzed the factors influencing their decision. We conducted an online cross‐sectional survey among HCWs of 10 Chinese hospitals from May 30th, 2022 to August 1st, 2022. Specifically, a self‐report questionnaire was administered to evaluate the attitude and acceptance of HCWs toward the monkeypox vaccine, followed by a multivariate logistic regression analysis to determine the independent predictors of vaccination. The survey included 1032 participants, of whom 90.12% expressed their willingness for vaccination (vaccine hesitancy rate = 9.88%). Univariate analysis showed that 11 variables differed significantly between the vaccine acceptance and vaccine hesitancy groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the age of 30–40 years (odds ratio [OR] = 0.504, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.284–0.893, p = 0.019 vs. age of <30 years old), working in a secondary hospital (OR = 0.449, 95% CI: 0.249–0.808, p = 0.019 vs. working in a tertiary hospital), considering vaccination necessary for controlling monkeypox infection (OR = 4.135, 95% CI: 2.109–8.106, p < 0.001 vs. not considering it necessary), willingness to pay for the monkeypox vaccine (OR = 2.125, 95% CI: 1.206–3.745, p = 0.009 vs. no willingness to pay), considering implementation of mandatory vaccination necessary (OR = 1.990, 95% CI: 1.023–3.869, p = 0.043 vs. not considering it necessary), and recommending family members and friends to take the vaccine (OR = 13.847, 95% CI: 7.487–25.609, p < 0.001 vs. not recommending) were crucial independent predictors of the willingness to receive monkeypox‐related vaccination. This study evaluated the acceptance and hesitancy rates of Chinese HCWs toward the monkeypox vaccine and found that the willingness to receive vaccination was mainly correlated to age, hospital level, and attitude toward vaccination. Therefore, to promote vaccine absorption, we recommend expanding publicity, formulating reasonable policies, and improving the recognition of vaccines.

Perceptions and worries about monkeypox, and attitudes towards monkeypox vaccination among medical workers in China: A cross-sectional survey

“…WHO has recommended monkeypox immunization for healthcare workers at risk of occupational exposure [26] . Compared with a recent study on the willingness to receive monkeypox vaccine, the proportion of medical workers to support the promotion/encouragement of monkeypox vaccination was different due to the different question setting about attitudes towards vaccination [33] . The results of this study showed that educational level, the correct answer of monkeypox transmission route, and high level of monkeypox common knowledge were significantly associated with supporting the promotion of monkeypox vaccination.…”

Knowledge, Attitude and Conspiracy Beliefs of Healthcare Workers in Lebanon towards Monkeypox

“…Considering the survey timing (November–December 2022), this result shows that gaps in MPOX knowledge still exist despite the intensive awareness campaigns and the growing literature on MPOX prevention [ 2 , 10 , 42 ]. Previous studies showed variable levels of MPOX knowledge and attitude towards MPOX vaccination in different countries worldwide [ 23 , 26 , 37 , 39 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 ]. For example, a survey study among Italian physicians, which was conducted in May 2022, showed a generally favorable attitude towards MPOX vaccination [ 23 ].…”

Monkeypox (MPOX)-Related Knowledge and Vaccination Hesitancy in Non-Endemic Countries: Concise Literature Review

“…The results obtained from the different studies showed that the lowest vaccination acceptance rate was obtained in the general population in Romania 29% [29], while the highest rate was obtained among healthcare professionals in China (90.1%) [25] (Table 3). The high level of vaccine acceptance was associated with individuals previously vaccinated against seasonal influenza and those being favorable to receive variola vaccine Temsah et al [15] 50.6% (agree with vaccination)…”