Knowledge, attitudes, and behavior of incarcerated people regarding COVID-19 and related vaccination: a survey in Italy.

The cross-sectional study assessed knowledge, attitudes, and preventive practices toward COVID-19 disease of incarcerated people. A total of 685 subjects were surveyed. 94% were aware that respiratory droplets are involved in the transmission of COVID-19, and 77.2% that patients with chronic conditions are at risk of a more severe disease. Overall, 92.7% of respondents considered COVID-19 a more severe disease compared to influenza, and 85.4% believed that COVID-19 could cause serious consequences in their institution. Only 22.6% were self-confident about their ability to protect themselves from SARS-CoV-2 infection. This attitude was significantly higher in those who were involved in working activities in the institution, who did not report at least one common symptom compatible with COVID-19 in the previous 3 months, who did not show generalized anxiety symptoms, and did not need additional information. 63.9% of incarcerated people expressed willingness to receive COVID-19 vaccination. Older subjects, who knew that a COVID-19 vaccination is available, believed that COVID-19 is more serious than influenza, and were self-confident about their ability to protect themselves from SARS-CoV-2 infection, were significantly more willing to undergo COVID-19 vaccination. Public health response to COVID-19 in prisons should address vaccine hesitancy to increase vaccine confidence among incarcerated people.

Parental COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy: a cross-sectional survey in Italy.

BACKGROUND: Understanding parents' hesitancy against COVID-19 vaccination for their children is useful. METHODS: A self-administered online survey was conducted among 394 parents with at least one child aged 12-18 years in Italy. RESULTS: The mean perceived risk that their child can be infected by the SARS-CoV-2, measured on a 10-point Likert-type scale, was 7.7 and it was higher if at least one parent/partner cohabitant have had COVID-19, in those who believed that COVID-19 is a serious illness, and in those who had not vaccinated their child. 82.1% respondents were willing to vaccinate their child and this was more likely among those who believed that this vaccine is useful and who did not need additional information. 12.4% were, according to the 5-item Parent Attitudes About Childhood Vaccines Survey (PACV-5) score, high-hesitant toward anti-COVID-19 vaccination. Respondents not graduated, those who did not believe that this vaccination was useful, those who did not get this vaccine, those who did not obtain information from physicians, and those who needed additional information were more likely to be high-hesitant. CONCLUSIONS: Communication and public health interventions must be intensified to enhance the attitude and to help parents in deciding on COVID-19 vaccination of their children.

Healthcare Workers' Willingness to Receive Influenza Vaccination in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Survey in Southern Italy.

This cross-sectional survey was designed to evaluate hospital healthcare workers' (HCWs) willingness to receive the influenza vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify the related determinants, since it is plausible that the two epidemics will coexist in future winters. Overall, 68% out of 490 participants expressed their willingness to receive influenza vaccination in the 2020/21 season, with 95% of those ever and 45.8% of those never vaccinated in the previous six influenza seasons. Belief that influenza vaccine is useful in distinguishing influenza symptoms from those of COVID-19 and that the influenza vaccine is useful to prevent influenza in hospital settings, willingness to receive COVID-19 vaccination, having no concern about influenza vaccine side effects, concern about the possibility to transmit influenza to hospitalized patients, and influenza vaccination in previous years were all predictors of willingness to receive influenza vaccination. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, a relevant increase in the willingness to undergo influenza vaccination was reported. Therefore, interventions focused primarily on enabling factors are needed to promote the adherence to influenza vaccination in future seasons among HCWs.

Surveying willingness toward SARS-CoV-2 vaccination of healthcare workers in Italy.

BACKGROUND: Understanding healthcare workers (HCWs) willingness to receive a future vaccination against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may be useful. METHODS: Cross-sectional study, conducted in Italy from September 14th to November 30th, 2020, among 811 HCWs who undergo a voluntary antibody-testing for anti-SARS-CoV-2. RESULTS: The perceived risk level of developing COVID-19, measured on a Likert-type scale ranging from 1 to 10, was 6.6 and it was higher among females, older HCWs, and in those who agreed that COVID-19 is a severe disease. Married/cohabitant, not physicians, and those who needed additional information regarding the vaccination against COVID-19 were more likely to be concerned that COVID-19 vaccination might not be safe. Males, physicians, those who did not have had any symptom compatible with COVID-19, those who agreed that COVID-19 is a severe disease, those who perceived to be at higher risk of developing COVID-19, those who were not concerned about the vaccine's safety, and those who had received information regarding the COVID-19 vaccination from scientific journals expressed willingness to receive vaccination against COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: Communication and education targeted to groups with lowest willingness are needed to raise awareness regarding the safety and benefits of the vaccination and to improve vaccine uptake.