COVID-19 Vaccine Survey among Healthcare Workers. A Community Experience.

INTRODUCTION: In December 2019, the coronavirus (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) made its first appearance in Wuhan, China with a pandemic declared by March 2020. As the death toll continued to rise, the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended healthcare workers to strongly encourage the general population to receive COVID-19 vaccinations. For this to be effective, it is important to understand the general perceptions of the health care workers and persons associated with the healthcare industry towards their acceptance of the vaccine. METHODS: The authors of this 2021 cross-sectional study administered a 28-item survey to a convenience sample of 1,257 (43.1%) healthcare system workers out of a total of 2,915. The survey assessed respondents' demographic information, COVID-19 vaccine status, work-related exposures to COVID-19, reasons for receiving or refusing the vaccine, and primary sources of vaccine related information. Respondents were classified as vaccine status/intention positive or negative. RESULTS: Those in the youngest 18 - 35 years age group were significantly less likely to receive the vaccine (p < 0.01) and male healthcare workers were significantly more likely to receive the vaccine (p = 0.01). White respondents, 759 (77.9%) were also more likely to receive the vaccine than African-American, 127 (13%). It was more likely for persons to be vaccinated when encouraged/provided (p = 0.01) information by their respective employers. A subgroup of 277 (22.0%) respondents reported their employer as the primary source of vaccine information, causing the authors to conclude that employer information was the most influential informational factor impacting COVID-19 vaccination. CONCLUSION: Vaccine hesitancy continues to be a major obstacle hampering the success of COVID-19 vaccination promotion programs. Results indicate that a combination of a prior COVID-19 diagnosis, information dispensed by a person's employer, persons' home living situations, and contact with persons who had an uneventful post vaccination experience increased the likelihood of vaccination.

E-cigarette, or Vaping, Product Use-associated Lung Injury (EVALI): Acute Lung Illness within Hours of Switching from Traditional to E-cigarettes.

2019 has been a landmark year in the world of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), specifically e-cigarette and vaping. Numerous state health departments across the United States have voiced their concerns in the growing number of lung injury cases from e-cigarettes and vaping. Over the past few decades, many agencies have brought into light the harmful effects of smoking cigarettes, and despite popular belief, a growing movement has started to recognize the harmful effects of ENDS. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have released recommendations and provided health practitioners a methodology to identify and diagnose e-cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injury (EVALI). EVALI is a diagnosis of exclusion and comprises a variety of respiratory illnesses, with intubation rates nearing 32%. The most critical risk factor remains product use in the preceding 90 days, although a timeline on the development of symptoms or notable structural changes remains unknown. We present a case of acute lung injury in a traditional cigarette smoker that evolved within hours of switching to e-cigarettes.