ABSTRACT
Objective Colombia designed and adopted a vaccination plan against COVID-19 that will immunize 35 million people. The study aim was to detect the level of willingness to accept vaccination against COVID-19. Methods A telephone survey of 11,721 people aged 80 and over, affiliated with a health insurer, was carried out. The respondents were the affiliates or their relatives or caregivers. Results The average age was 85.0 years (SD: 4.5), with no differences between sexes;3,344 (28.5%) referred to a previous diagnostic test for COVID-19 and 73 were positive, giving an incidence of 622.8 per 100,000 people (95% CI: 491-778). Regarding attitude to vaccination against SARS-CoV-2, 1/4 respondents refrained from giving an opinion or were neutral. When the respondent was a relative, the acceptance of the vaccine was 60.4% (95% CI: 59.5-61.3) with differences by gender: men 62.2% (95% CI: 60.8-63.6) and women 59.2 (95% CI: 58.0-60.3), P < .05. When the respondent was the potential recipient of the vaccine, the acceptance of the vaccine was 61.7% (95% CI: 59.4-64.0) and this also differed by gender: 70.2% in men (95% CI: 66, 9-73.5) and 55.1% in women (95% CI: 52.0-58.3), P < .05. Conclusion The relatively low acceptance of vaccination against COVID-19 in Colombia poses significant challenges to achieve herd immunity that would allow control of the pandemic.
ABSTRACT
Resumen Objetivo Colombia diseñó y adoptó un plan de vacunación contra la COVID-19. El objetivo de esta investigación fue conocer la disposición para aceptar la vacunación contra esa enfermedad de personas de 80 y más años. Métodos Se realizó una encuesta telefónica a 11.721 personas de 80 y más años, afiliadas a una aseguradora de salud, en la que se indagó sobre la intención a recibir la vacuna. Los respondientes fueron los afiliados o sus familiares o cuidadores. Resultados El promedio de edad fue 85,0 años (SD: 4,5), sin diferencias entre sexos;3.344 participantes (28,5%) refirieron el antecedente de haberse realizado una prueba diagnóstica previa de COVID-19 y 73 resultaron positivos. La incidencia acumulada de infección por SARS-CoV-2 desde marzo de 2020 fue de 622,8 por 100.000 personas (IC95%: 491-778 por 100.000). Respecto a la actitud hacia la vacunación contra la COVID-19, uno de cada 4 respondientes se abstuvo de opinar o se manifestó neutro. Cuando el respondiente era un familiar, la aceptación de la vacuna era del 60,4% (IC95%: 59,5-61,3) con diferencias por sexo: entre los hombres era del 62,2% (IC95%: 60,8-63,6) y en mujeres del 59,2 (IC95%: 58,0-60,3), con p<0,05. Cuando el respondiente fue el potencial receptor de la vacuna, la aceptación de la vacuna fue del 61,7% (IC95%: 59,4-64,0) y también difería por sexos: 70,2% en hombres (IC95%: 66,9-73,5) y 55,1% en mujeres (IC95%: 52,0-58,3), con p<0,05. Conclusión La relativamente baja aceptación de la vacunación contra la COVID-19 en Colombia plantea retos importantes para lograr el control de la pandemia. Objective Colombia designed and adopted a vaccination plan against COVID-19 that will immunize 35 million people. The study aim was to detect the level of willingness to accept vaccination against COVID-19. Methods A telephone survey of 11,721 people aged 80 and over, affiliated with a health insurer, was carried out. The respondents were the affiliates or their relatives or caregivers. Results The average age was 85.0 years (SD: 4.5), with no differences between sexes;3,344 (28.5%) referred to a previous diagnostic test for COVID-19 and 73 were positive, giving an incidence of 622.8 per 100,000 people (95% CI: 491-778). Regarding attitude to vaccination against SARS-CoV-2, 1/4 respondents refrained from giving an opinion or were neutral. When the respondent was a relative, the acceptance of the vaccine was 60.4% (95% CI: 59.5-61.3) with differences by gender: men 62.2% (95% CI: 60.8-63.6) and women 59.2 (95% CI: 58.0-60.3), P<.05. When the respondent was the potential recipient of the vaccine, the acceptance of the vaccine was 61.7% (95% CI: 59.4-64.0) and this also differed by gender: 70.2% in men (95% CI: 66, 9-73.5) and 55.1% in women (95% CI: 52.0-58.3), P<.05. Conclusion The relatively low acceptance of vaccination against COVID-19 in Colombia poses significant challenges to achieve herd immunity that would allow control of the pandemic.
ABSTRACT
Objective: Colombia designed and adopted a vaccination plan against COVID-19 that will immunize 35 million people. The aim study was to know the willingness to accept the vaccination against COVID-19. Methods: A telephone survey of 11,721 people aged 80 and over, affiliated with a health insurer, was carried. The respondents were the affiliates or their relatives or caregivers. Results: The average age was 85.0 years (SD: 4.5), with no differences between sexes; 3,344 (28.5%) referred a previous diagnostic test for COVID-19 and 73 were positive for an incidence of 622.8 per 100,000 people (95%CI: 491-778). Regarding the attitude with the vaccination against SARS-CoV-2, 1/4 respondents refrained from giving an opinion or was neutral. When the respondent was a relative, the acceptance of the vaccine was 60.4% (95% CI: 59.5-61.3) with differences by gender: men 62.2% (95% CI: 60.8-63.6) and women of 59.2 (95% CI: 58.0-60.3), P < 0.05. When the respondent was the potential recipient of the vaccine, the acceptance of the vaccine was 61.7% (95% CI: 59.4-64.0) and also differed by gender: 70.2% in men (95% CI: 66, 9-73.5) and 55.1% in women (95% CI: 52.0-58.3), P < 0.05. Conclusion: The relatively low acceptance of vaccination against COVID-19 in Colombia poses significant challenges to achieve herd immunity that allows control of the pandemic.
ABSTRACT
Objectives: Testing is widely accepted as critical to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. To understand the dynamics of tests conducted could help to assess a country response to the pandemic. In that sense, our aim was to verify if there is a relationship between pandemic dynamics and molecular tests conducted in Colombia. Methods: We retrieved publicly available data from The Colombian National Institute of Health from March 2 to December 31, 2020, on testing and outcomes related to COVID-19. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated between molecular tests conducted per 100000 persons and death or incidence rate per 100000 people of every department of Colombia. To assess if there a cyclic relationship between the daily number of molecular tests and daily COVID-19 cases in Colombia, we executed a cointegration analysis and evaluated the hypothesis with an augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) test. A critical value of -3.42 for rejecting the null hypothesis at 5% was used. Results: There was a positive correlation between molecular tests conducted and COVID-19 incidence and death rate (r = 0.79, p < 0.01 and r = 0.64, p < 0.01, respectively). The cointegration (ADF) test revealed a statistically significant and closely time-dependent stochastic structure between daily COVID-19 cases and number of molecular tests (ADF, -3.50;p < 0.01). Conclusions: In Colombia, the molecular tests conducted are reactive to COVID-19 incidence and, in contrast to other scenarios, the molecular testing increase does not reduce COVID-19 incidence or mortality.