Using the increasing vaccination model and the moderating roles of chronic medical conditions and education to understand COVID-19 vaccination uptake in Singapore.

COVID-19 vaccination programmes have helped reduce deaths and morbidity from the pandemic and allowed for the resumption of normal life. However, vaccine hesitancy remains an issue even with recurrent surges in COVID-19 cases due to new SARS-CoV-2 variants. Purpose: To elucidate psychosocial factors that contribute to our understanding of vaccine hesitancy. 676 Participants in Singapore took part in an online survey on vaccine hesitancy and uptake between May and June 2021. Data on demographics, perception of the COVID-19 pandemic, and vaccine willingness and hesitancy factors were collected. The responses were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The study found that confidence in the COVID-19 vaccines and risk perception of the COVID-19 situation are significantly associated with vaccination intention, while vaccination intention is also significantly associated with reported vaccination status. Additionally, certain chronic medical conditions moderate the relationship between vaccine confidence/risk perception and vaccine intention. This study contributes to our understanding of factors behind vaccination uptake which can help anticipate challenges to future vaccination campaigns for the next pandemic.

COVID-19 vaccination programmes have helped reduce deaths from the pandemic and allowed for the resumption of normal life. However, vaccine hesitancy among the public remains an issue even with recurrent surges in COVID-19 cases due to new SARS-CoV-2 variants. To understand psychosocial factors that contribute to vaccine uptake, this study surveyed 676 participants in Singapore through an online survey on vaccine hesitancy and uptake between May and June 2021. Data on demographics, perception of the COVID-19 pandemic, and vaccine willingness factors were collected. The responses were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The study found that confidence in the COVID-19 vaccines and risk perception of the COVID-19 situation are significantly associated with vaccination intention, while vaccination intention is also significantly associated with reported vaccination status. Additionally, certain chronic medical conditions moderate the relationship between vaccine confidence/risk perception and vaccine intention. This study contributes to our understanding of factors behind vaccination uptake which can help anticipate challenges to future vaccination campaigns for the next pandemic.

Safety attitudes, burnout and wellbeing among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: an Indo-Pacific regional cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact in Asia and has placed significant burden on already stretched healthcare systems. We examined the impact of COVID-19 on safety attitudes among healthcare workers (HCWs) as well as their associated demographic and occupational factors, and measures of burnout, depression and anxiety. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey study utilising snowball sampling was performed involving doctors, nurses and allied health professions from 23 hospitals in Singapore, Malaysia, India and Indonesia between 29 May 2020 and 13 July 2020. This survey collated demographic data and workplace conditions and included three validated questionnaires: Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ); Oldenburg Burnout Inventory; and Hospital and Anxiety Depression Scale. We performed multivariate mixed model regression to assess for independent associations with the SAQ Total Percentage Agree Rates (PAR). RESULTS: We obtained 3,163 responses. A SAQ Total PAR of 35.7%, 15.0%, 51.0% and 3.3% was calculated among respondents from Singapore, Malaysia, India and Indonesia, respectively. Burnout scores were highest among respondents from Indonesia and lowest in respondents from India at 70.9%-85.4% versus 56.3%-63.6%, respectively. Multivariate analyses revealed that meeting burnout and depression thresholds, and shifts lasting ≥ 12 hours were significantly associated with lower SAQ Total PAR. CONCLUSION: Addressing factors contributing to high burnout and depression, and placing strict limits on work hours per shift may contribute significantly towards improving safety culture among HCWs and should remain priorities as this pandemic continues.

The road to achieving herd immunity: factors associated with Singapore residents' uptake and hesitancy of the COVID-19 vaccination.

OBJECTIVE: Achieving high vaccination rates is key to containing the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study evaluated the factors associated with uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine. METHODS: Six hundred and seventy-six respondents were surveyed online between May and June 2021. Data on demographics, perception of the COVID-19 pandemic, and vaccine willingness and hesitancy factors were collected. RESULTS: Approximately 54.6% of the respondents had received the COVID-19 vaccination. Age (p = 0.001), males (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.1-2.6, p = 0.026), ethnicity (p = 0.004), occupation (p = 0.003)), working in healthcare (OR 6.1, 95% CI 2.8-13.2, p < 0.001), smoking (OR 3.3, 95% CI 1.3-8.8, p = 0.014), seeing vaccination as a social responsibility (OR 3.8, 95% CI 1.2-12.0, p = 0.022) and believing the vaccine is important to end the COVID-19 pandemic (OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.1-6.1, p = 0.020) were associated with greater vaccination uptake. CONCLUSION: Social responsibility and well-being of collective society are important values associated with vaccine uptake in an Asian society. Understanding factors behind vaccine uptake can help advise public health measures and strategies to achieve high levels of vaccination.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospital admissions of nursing home residents.

OBJECTIVE: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted nursing home care and activities in profound ways. We sought to understand whether the COVID-19 pandemic had any impact on hospital admissions of nursing home residents. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of hospital admissions of nursing home residents to a tertiary general hospital in Singapore during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 was conducted and compared to admissions in the preceding year. Patients' demographics, length of stay, primary diagnosis on admission, death and causes of death were recorded. RESULTS: Our study found reduced number of hospital admissions of nursing home residents to a tertiary hospital in Singapore. There was a significant decrease in pneumonia (p < 0.001) and fall (p = 0.001) as a primary diagnosis on admission and a decrease in pneumonia as the cause of death (p < 0.001) for nursing home residents admitted to hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: This suggests that measures implemented during the pandemic may have impacted outcomes of nursing home residents. Further study is warranted to lead to practise changing outcomes for nursing home settings.