Crucial choices in a global health crisis: Revealing the demand and willingness to pay for a hypothetical monkeypox vaccine - the PREVENT study.

Background: The latent monkeypox outbreak has become the most emergent public health challenge globally. This study was conducted to assess the acceptability, and willingness to take and pay for a hypothetical Monkeypox vaccine among the Vietnamese general public as well as investigate preference for individual vaccine attributes. Methods: An online cross-sectional study was conducted using snowball sampling among 842 respondents in Vietnam in 2022. A Discrete choice experiment (DCE) on preference for six major attributes of vaccine: effectiveness, immunity duration, side effects, mortality rate, restriction, and the cost was applied. Results: Fear of the impact of monkeypox on public health and the economy, vaccine service satisfaction and responsibility to the community were the most weighted factors in the decision to take a hypothetical monkeypox vaccine. Two-thirds of participants were willing to take the vaccine, while insufficient information on monkeypox and the vaccine were the main reasons for vaccine hesitancy. For vaccine attributes, the mortality rate after seven days of vaccination was the most weighted while cost was the least influential attribute. Factors associated with willingness to take and to pay for the monkeypox vaccine included knowledge of transmission, geographical location, service satisfaction, and risk of infection, while financial burden and fear of vaccine were major drivers of hesitancy. Conclusion: Our findings underline an urgent need for effective information dissemination through social media and counseling. The implementation of nationwide monkeypox vaccination requires prioritization and support for high-risk groups as well as consideration for the country's financial resources.

Evidence of COVID-19 Impacts on Occupations During the First Vietnamese National Lockdown.

Background: Although "social isolation" protects the life and health of Vietnamese citizens from the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, it also triggers massive reductions in the economic activities of the country. Objective: our study aimed to identify negative impacts of COVID-19 on occupations of Vietnamese people during the first national lockdown, including the quality and quantity of jobs as well as adverse problems at work due to COVID-19. Methods: A cross-sectional study using web-based platforms was conducted during the first time of social isolation in Vietnam at the beginning of April 2020. We utilized a respondent-driven sampling technique to select 1423 respondents from 63 cities and provinces over Vietnam. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to define sub-domains of perceived impacts of COVID-19 on occupations. Findings: Approximately two-thirds of respondents reported decreases in their income (61.6%), and 28.2% reported that their income deficit was 40% and above. The percentage of female individuals having decreased revenue due to COVID-19 was higher than that of male respondents (65.2% and 54.7%, respectively). "Worry that colleagues exposed to COVID-19 patients" and "Being alienated because employment-related to COVID-19" accounted for the highest score in each factor. Compared to healthcare workers, being self-employed/unemployed/retired were less likely to suffer from "Increased workload and conflicts due to COVID-19" and "Disclosure and discrimination related to COVID-19 work exposure." Conclusion: Our study revealed a drastic reduction in both the quality and quantity of working, as well as the increased fear and stigmatization of exposure to COVID-19 at workplaces. Health protection and economic support are immediate targets that should be focused on when implementing policies and regulations.

The operational readiness capacities of the grassroots health system in responses to epidemics: Implications for COVID-19 control in Vietnam.

BACKGROUND: There is a paucity of data on the operational readiness capacities of the grassroots health system in Vietnam while it plays a vital role as a first-line defense against health emergencies, including the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). This study, therefore, aims to assess the operational readiness capacities of the grassroots health system in response to epidemics and provides implications for controlling COVID-19 in Vietnam. METHODS: An online cross-sectional study using the respondent-driven sampling technique was conducted with 6029 health professionals and medical students in Vietnam from December 2019 to February 2020. The operational readiness capacities of the health system were assessed by the sufficiency of health professionals, administrative and logistics staffs, equipment and facilities, and general capacity of health professionals. Kruskal-Wallis test, Fisher exact test and χ2 test were employed to identify the differences among variables. Tobit and censored regression models were operated to determine associated factors. RESULTS: The operational readiness capacities of the grassroots health system for four assessed criteria were at moderate levels, ranging from 6.3 to 6.8 over 10. In Vietnam, the grassroots health system in rural areas, in the South, and at the district level were more likely to be vulnerable compared to their counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: According to empirical data, this study reveals the vulnerability of the grassroots health system in Vietnam and provides the rationality of prompt and vigorous actions of the Vietnamese Government against COVID-19. Findings also offer useful insights for effective strategies to strengthen the grassroots health system in the long term. In the short term, practicing precautionary measures and mobilizing human resources, as well as medical equipment, are needed to successfully contain COVID-19 in Vietnam.