RESUMO
BackgroundThe Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) was the fourth country in the world to authorize the BNT162b2 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine, which it rolled out on December 17, 2020 and first targeted at healthcare workers (HCWs). This study assesses vaccine uptake among this group during the first month of its availability. MethodsA national cross-sectional, pilot-validated, self-administered survey was conducted among HCWs in the KSA between December 27, 2020 and January 3, 2021. The survey included sociodemographic details, previous contact with COVID-19 patients, previous infection with COVID-19, receiving (or registering with the Ministry of Health website to receive) the COVID-19 vaccine, sources of HCWs information on vaccines, awareness of emerging variants of concern, and anxiety level using the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder assessment. A descriptive bivariate analysis and multivariate logistic binary regression analysis were performed. The primary evaluated outcome was vaccine uptake. ResultsOf the 1,058 participants who completed the survey, 704 (66.5%) were female, and 626 (59.2%) were nurses. Of all the respondents, 352 (33.27%) were enrolled to receive or had already received the vaccine, while 706 (66.73%) had not registered. In a bivariate analysis, not enrolling for vaccination was more likely in females than males (78.5% vs. 21.5%, P < 0.001), HCWs between the ages of 20 and 40 years than those > 40 years (70.4% vs. 29.6%, P = 0.005), Saudi HCWs than expatriates (78% vs 22%, P < 0.001), and among HCWs who used social media as a source of information than those who did not (69.8% vs. 38.6%, P < 0.001). In a multivariate analysis, independent factors for not enrolling to receive the vaccine included being female (aOR = 0.287, 95%CI = 0.206-0.401, P < 0.001), being less than 40 years of age (aOR = 1.021, 95%CI = 1.002-1.040, P = 0.032), and using social media as a source of information (aOR = 0.207, 95%CI = 0.132-1.354, P = 0.001). Factors associated with uptake were being a Saudi national (aOR = 1.918, 95%CI = 1.363-2.698, P < 0.001), working in an intensive care unit (aOR = 1.495, 95%CI = 1.083-2.063, P = 0.014), and working at a university hospital (aOR = 1.867, 95%CI = 1.380-2.525, P < 0.001). ConclusionsA low level of vaccine uptake was observed especially in female HCWs, those younger than 40 years old, and those who used social media as their source of vaccine information. This survey provides important information for public health authorities in order to scale up vaccination campaigns targeting these HCWs to increase vaccine enrollment and uptake.
RESUMO
BackgroundHealthcare workers (HCWs) travel-related anxiety needs to be assessed in light of the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 mutations. MethodsAn online, cross-sectional questionnaire among HCWs between December 21, 2020 to January 7, 2021. The outcome variables were HCWs knowledge and awareness of the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 lineage, and its associated travel worry and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) score. ResultsA total of 1,058 HCWs completed the survey; 66.5% were female, 59.0% were nurses. 9.0% indicated they had been previously diagnosed with COVID-19. Regarding the B.1.1.7 lineage, almost all (97.3%) were aware of its emergence, 73.8% were aware that it is more infectious, 78.0% thought it causes more severe disease, and only 50.0% knew that current COVID-19 vaccines are effective in preventing it. Despite this, 66.7% of HCWs were not registered to receive the vaccine. HCWs most common source of information about the new variant was social media platforms (67%), and this subgroup was significantly more worried about traveling. Nurses were more worried than physicians (P=0.001). ConclusionsMost HCWs were aware of the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 variant and expressed substantial travel worries. Increased worry levels were found among HCWs who used social media as their main source of information, those with lower levels of COVID-19 vaccine uptake, and those with higher GAD-7 scores. The utilization of official social media platforms could improve accurate information dissemination among HCWs regarding the pandemics evolving mutations. Targeted vaccine campaigns are warranted to assure HCWs about the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines toward SARS-CoV-2 variants.
