ABSTRACT
The focus of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination campaigns has been the adult population, particularly the elderly and those with chronic diseases. However, COVID-19 can also affect children and adolescents. Furthermore, targeting this population can accelerate the attainment of herd immunity. The aim of the current study was to evaluate parental intentions to vaccinate their children and the variables associated with them. An online questionnaire was circulated via generic Iraqi Facebook groups to explore parental intentions regarding the vaccination of their children. Multinomial regression analysis was conducted to evaluate variables associated with parental vaccination acceptance. A total of 491 participants completed the study questionnaire. Only 38.3% of the participants were willing to vaccinate their children against COVID-19, while the rest either refused to vaccinate their children (35.6%) or were unsure whether they would (26.1%). Participants' perceptions about the effectiveness (OR = 0.726, 95% CI = 0.541-0.975, p = 0.033) and safety (OR = 0.435, 95% CI = 0.330-0.574, p < 0.0001) of COVID-19 vaccines were significantly associated with parental acceptance of having children vaccinated. Participants who had received or who were planning to receive the COVID-19 vaccine were significantly less likely to reject vaccinating their children (OR = 0.156, 95% CI = 0.063-0.387, p < 0.0001). There is high refusal/hesitancy among Iraqi parents to vaccinate their children, which is associated with concerns related to the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines. More efforts, including educational and awareness campaigns to promote the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines, should be made to increase parental acceptance of childhood COVID-19 vaccinations in Iraq.
ABSTRACT
Purpose: COVID-19 vaccines are critical for containing the pandemic and preventing serious SARS-CoV-2 infections. In addition to the two main doses, a booster dose has been utilized to improve immunity. The aim of current study is to evaluate Iraqi adult population knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards COVID-19 booster dose. Subjects and Methods: This online cross-sectional survey of adult Iraqis (n = 754) assessed the attitudes of people who have had both immunizations regarding a potential COVID-19 vaccine booster dosage and to identify potential factors that might impact these attitudes. Factors evaluated in the current study included previously received vaccine type in the first two doses, socioeconomic characteristics, health status, knowledge about COVID-19 and its vaccines and adherence to protective practices. Results: Overall, 61.1% of participants expressed willingness to receive a COVID-19 booster dose, with a high median score of knowledge and practice toward COVID-19. Participants who did not perceive COVID-19 to be serious, p-value <0.001), participants who believed they would not be infected with COVID-19 in the next 6 months (p-value <0.001), low knowledge score group (p-value <0.001), lower education (p-value <0.001), participants who received the COVID-19 vaccine because of imposed laws (p-value <0.001), participants who received AstraZeneca vaccine (p-value <0.001), younger participants (p-value=0.003), low level of practice (p-value <0.001), participants who did not know someone who had died due to COVID-19 (p-value=0.01), low risk of developing serious side effects if infected with COVID-19 and participants in the low side effects score were significantly less frequently willing to receive a booster COVID-19 dose (p-value <0.001). The main reasons for booster dose hesitancy/refusal were the perceived lack of need for a booster shot, the uselessness of a booster shot and the conspiracy theory of boosting corporate profits through booster shots. Conclusion: There is high hesitancy towards COVID-19 booster dose acceptance among the Iraqi population. The study identified several factors associated with vaccine hesitancy including low socioeconomic status and low knowledge about COVID-19 and its vaccines.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic poses a serious threat to countless lives. Development of an efficient vaccination can help end the pandemic. Vaccine hesitancy/refusal is a huge issue that could stymie attempts to combat the disease. The goal of this study is to examine COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Iraq where at the end of July 2021, only 7.4% of the population was vaccinated. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: This is a cross-sectional web-based study. A survey was used to assess knowledge, attitudes and practice (KAP) toward COVID-19. Willingness to be vaccinated against COVID-19 was assessed, with a logistic regression used to identify variables associated with vaccine acceptance. Motives for vaccination refusal/hesitation were reported. RESULTS: A total of 1542 participants (females = 56.7%) completed the questionnaire. Participants displayed high knowledge and good protective practices toward COVID-19 (median score = 15 out of 19 and 20 out of 25 respectively). 88.6% were willing to be vaccinated. Variables associated with vaccine acceptance included have not been infected with COVID-19 (OR=0.53, p=0.01), low- and moderate-income (ORs=0.42 and 0.63, p<0.01 respectively), low education level (OR=0.33, p-value<0.01) and perceived degree of vaccination importance (OR=1.30, P-value<0.01). The most mentioned reasons for vaccine refusal were concerns about vaccine safety and side effects (90.35%) and the need for more information about the vaccine (81.2%). CONCLUSION: Participants showed high acceptance toward COVID-19 vaccination, nevertheless more efforts should be applied to overcome barriers mentioned by the participants.