ABSTRACT
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic imposed a pressing global threat. Vaccines against COVID-19 are a key tool to control the ongoing pandemic. The success of COVID-19 vaccination programs will largely depend on public willingness to receive the vaccine. This study aimed to evaluate the acceptability of COVID-19 vaccines among university students and lecturers in four different provinces of Indonesia. An anonymous, cross-sectional study was conducted online among university students and lecturers in Indonesia between 23 December 2020 and 15 February 2021. Of 3433 respondents, 50.3% stated that they would accept COVID-19 vaccination, while 10.7% expressed unwillingness and 39% were not sure about receiving the vaccine. Concern regarding the side effects after COVID-19 vaccination was the main reason among the participants for not willing to receive the vaccine. Being male, associated with the health sector, having a higher monthly expenditure and having health insurance could increase the acceptability of the COVID-19 vaccine. Low trust in the government and low confidence towards vaccine safety and efficacy could hinder participants' decision to be vaccinated. Simple, clear and fact-based information from trusted sources on a regular basis will be important for building confidence towards the COVID-19 vaccination program in Indonesia.
ABSTRACT
Objectives: To evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine among the general population of Oman, on the eve of the rollout of vaccination program in the country. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a structured and validated online questionnaire. Adults residing in Oman were invited to participate in the study between 22 and 24 December 2020. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine acceptability. Results: Of the total of 966 participants, the majority (612; 63.4%) were women. Most participants were younger than 40 years (572; 59.3%). Participants displayed good awareness about COVID-19 (946; 97.9%) and the global vaccine development initiatives (831; 86.0%). Only 265 (27.4%) participants were willing to get themselves vaccinated. The majority were either uncertain 365 (37.8%) or unwilling 336 (34.8%). The main driver of vaccine acceptance was to protect oneself and others (186/265; 70.0%). The main reasons given for vaccination hesitation/refusal were concerns over possible side-effects (505/701; 72.0%), safety concerns (386/701; 55.0%), and ineffectiveness of the vaccine (107/701; 15.3%). Conclusions: On the eve of the first-ever rollout of COVID-19 vaccine in Oman in December 2020, the surveyed residents of the country expressed significant hesitancy to get themselves vaccinated. Participants' perceptions of risk of contracting COVID-19, their trust in vaccines, government, and their health system were important predictors of vaccine acceptance. These results enabled development of strategies to address such concerns to facilitate vaccine acceptance among the residents of Oman. The results of this study can be used by researchers to conduct comparative research in future, with more emphasis on Omani youth (< 40 years).
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: COVID-19 vaccines are considered to be a vital tool in controlling the pandemic. Hesitation with COVID-19 immunization has been reported worldwide. The acceptability of the COVID-19 vaccine among health care workers (HCWs) is an important step in determining the success of any new vaccination program. This study aims to estimate the acceptability of COVID-19 vaccines among HCWs in Oman. METHODS: A cross-sectional study using a self- administered questionnaire was conducted among HCWs in December 2020. Data were analyzed using a bivariate level to identify the statistical association with acceptability using the Chi-squared test. At the multivariate level, we determined the socio-demographic and knowledge factors associated with vaccine acceptability. RESULTS: A total of 608 out of 700 HCWs participated (response rate 87 %), of which 64.8 % were Oman citizens and 53.8 % were aged between 30 and 39 years. The majority of the participants were female (62.8 %) and married (87.0 %), while 48.5 % of the respondents were doctors. Only 43 % of the participants were willing to be vaccinated against COVID-19, while 57 % were either uncertain 35 % or unwilling 22 % to be vaccinated. The main reason for not being willing to receive the vaccine was their perceived adverse events after vaccination. The male participants (OR: 1.96 95 % CI 1.22-3.13) and those with a positive attitude towards the vaccine (OR: 9.17(95 %) CI-1.78-47.07) were more willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Similarly, trust in the government (OR: 2.41 95 % CI 1.57-3.71) and having sound knowledge of the COVID-19 vaccine (OR: 15.91 95 % CI 9.81-25.88) improved the acceptability to vaccinate among the HCWs. In contrast, having a previous experience with SARS-CoV-2 (OR: 1.65, 95 % CI: 1.08-2.54), was associated with a significant decrease in COVID-19 vaccine acceptability. CONCLUSION: 50 % of HCWs reported being uncertain or unwilling to be vaccinated against the COVID-19 vaccine. Male gender, positive attitude towards the vaccines, trust in government and knowledge of COVID-19 vaccine as key factors that determine improved vaccine acceptability among HCWs. Therefore, to facilitate herd immunity among the population, it is necessary to initiate effective communication strategies among HCWs in order to sensitize them towards the acceptability of the COVID-19 vaccine.