Immediate and informative feedback during a pandemic: Using stated preference analysis to predict vaccine uptake rates.

In response to an emerging pandemic, there is urgent need for information regarding individual evaluation of risk and preferences toward mitigation strategies such as vaccinations. However, with social distancing policies and financial stress during an outbreak, traditional robust survey methodologies of face-to-face, probabilistic sampling, may not be feasible to deploy quickly, especially in developing countries. We recommend a protocol that calls for a sensitive survey design, acceptance of a web-based approach and adjustments for uncertainty of respondents, to deliver urgently needed information to policymakers as the public health crisis unfolds, rather than in its aftermath. This information is critical to tailor comprehensive vaccination campaigns that reach critical immunity thresholds. We apply our recommendations in a regional study of 16 Latin American countries in the month following index cases of COVID-19. We use a split-sample, contingent valuation approach to evaluate the effects of cost, duration of immunity and effectiveness of the vaccine. Our results show that cost and duration of immunity are significant factors in the decision to vaccinate, while the degree of effectiveness is insignificant, unless the vaccine is 100% effective. Income as well as perceived risk and severity of the virus are important determinants also.

Increasing influenza vaccination coverage in healthcare workers: a review on campaign strategies and their effect.

PURPOSE: Increasing influenza vaccination coverage in healthcare workers is a challenge. Especially during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, high vaccination coverage should be attained. This review analyzed strategies to increase influenza vaccination coverage in healthcare workers. METHODS: A literature search using PubMed was conducted and 32 publications on influenza vaccination campaigns for healthcare workers were reviewed for key interventions and resulting vaccination coverage. RESULTS: Among key interventions analyzed, mandatory vaccination policies or multifaceted campaigns including a vaccinate-or-wear-a-mask policy as well as mandatory declination reached vaccination coverage in healthcare workers of over 90%. Although campaigns solely based on education and promotion or on-site-vaccination did not regularly exceed an absolute vaccination coverage of 40%, a substantial relative increase in vaccination coverage was reached by implementation of these strategies. CONCLUSION: Mandatory vaccination policies are effective measures to achieve high overall vaccination coverage. In clinics where policies are infeasible, multifaceted campaigns comprising on-site vaccination, vaccination stands and educational and promotional campaigns as well as incentives should be implemented. Lessons learned from influenza campaigns could be implemented in future SARS-CoV-2 vaccination campaigns.