Opening the 'Vaccine Hesitancy' black box: how trust in institutions affects French GPs' vaccination practices

Temporal variations of vaccine hesitancy amid the COVID-19 outbreaks in Hong Kong

To inform the dynamic adjustments of vaccination campaigns, this study examined the transitions among vaccine hesitancy profiles over the COVID-19 pandemic progression and their predictors and outcomes. The transition patterns among hesitancy profiles over three periods were identified using a latent transition analysis with individuals from a longitudinal cohort study since the emergence of COVID-19 in Hong Kong. Four profiles (i.e., skeptics, apathetics, fence-sitters, and believers) emerged consistently over time. From Period 1 (third and fourth pandemic waves) to Period 2 (dormant period, vaccine rollout), 14.17% of believers became fence-sitters (ambivalization), and 12.11% of fence-sitters became apathetics (apathetization). From Period 2 to Period 3 (omicron surge and vaccine mandates), 20.21% of believers became fence-sitters. Lower trust in government predicted a transition to skepticism, whereas higher trust predicted the opposite. Staying as believers was associated with decreased hygienic and social distancing behavior. The stable hesitancy profiles amid the rapid vaccine uptake suggest that structural factors rather than personal agency may drive the surge. Ambivalization and apathetization may signal disengagement in preventive behaviors. Trust in the government is crucial in the pandemic response. Public health interventions may improve compliance with guidelines and prevent skepticism and apathy.

High vaccine confidence and strong approval of the mandatory immunization schedule among Bulgarian general practitioners in 2022

In a context of recently decreasing childhood immunization coverage and low uptake of COVID-19 vaccines in Bulgaria, this study measures vaccine hesitancy among general practitioners (GPs) in the country, as they are central to forming patients' attitudes. In 2022, a face-to-face survey was conducted through a simple random sample from an exhaustive national database of Bulgarian GPs. This study measured attitudes on vaccine importance, safety, and effectiveness, and attitudes toward the Bulgarian immunization schedule. Information was collected on demographic and GP practice characteristics and possible predictors of vaccine confidence in order to test for associations with attitudes toward immunization. GP attitudes toward vaccines and the immunization schedule in Bulgaria were generally positive. Among 358 respondents, 351 (98%,95%CI96-99%) strongly agreed/agreed that vaccines are important, 352 (98%,95%CI96-99%) that vaccines are effective, and 341 (95%,95%CI93-97%) that vaccines are safe. 347 respondents (97%,95%CI95-98%) affirmed that "it's good that vaccines from the children's immunization schedule are mandatory", and 331 (92%,95%CI89-95%) agreed with the statement "Bulgaria's childhood immunization has my approval". Trust in information from official institutions was among the strongest predictors of vaccine confidence. Respondents' vaccine confidence levels are within the ranges reported by GPs in other European countries and above those reported within the general Bulgarian population. GPs' vaccine confidence is highly associated with trust in official institutions. It is important to maintain trust in official institutions and to support GPs in communicating vaccine knowledge with patients so that vaccine hesitancy in the general population is countered.

The Association between Levels of Trust in the Healthcare System and Influenza Vaccine Hesitancy among College Students in Israel

Influenza is a contagious respiratory disease caused by the influenza virus. Vaccination proves an effective approach to preventing influenza and minimizing the risk of experiencing associated complications. However, the influenza vaccine coverage rate among Israeli college students is low due to a sense of complacency, lack of knowledge, and vaccine hesitancy. The current study examined the relationship between the level of trust in the healthcare system and influenza vaccine hesitancy among college students in Israel. This cross-sectional study was conducted via an online questionnaire in April-May 2023. In total, 610 students were surveyed, of whom 57% had been vaccinated against influenza in the past; however, only 12% were vaccinated this year. Negative, significant, and moderate relationships were found between the level of trust in the healthcare system and influenza vaccine hesitancy. Students who had been vaccinated in the past had a higher level of trust in the healthcare system and a lower level of vaccination hesitancy. The linear regression model revealed that the variables of being a woman, not Jewish, vaccinated, and trusting the Ministry of Health, family doctor, and health professionals were associated with a decrease in vaccine hesitancy. These findings are in line with previous research in the field. Based on the present results, it may be advisable to develop intervention programs aimed at increasing confidence in the healthcare system and vaccinations by providing knowledge and addressing students' concerns regarding vaccination.

Structural racism through Sundown towns and its relationship to COVID-19 local risk and racial and ethnic diversity

"Sundown towns" across the US prevented racial and ethnic minorities from living and working within their borders as they forced minorities to leave these towns after sunset. The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between sundown town status, COVID-19 local risk index and racial and ethnic diversity. A multi-level hierarchical model was used to examine the effect of historical segregation through sundown towns status on present day COVID-19 local risk index and city-level diversity. Over 2,400 Sundown towns were cataloged across the United States, with the greatest density in the Midwest. Sundown towns, which historically excluded racial and ethnic minorities, had significantly less city-level diversity and lower COVID-19 local risk index compared to non-Sundown towns. Findings show that Sundown towns perpetuate residual segregation which continues to impact current inequities in COVID-19 risk among racial and ethnic minorities at the neighborhood level. We recommend that public health officials for pandemic preparedness should devote greater resources to these historically segregated racial and ethnic minority areas because of the historic structural racism that has placed these places at higher risk.

Partisan self-identification predicts attitudes of South Dakota nurses toward COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers

Objectives

Nurses are at greater risk of infection from COVID-19. However, mistrust of the vaccine exists even among this group. In the United States, the government implemented a vaccine mandate for health care workers to increase vaccination rates. This study investigated the drivers of nurses' attitudes toward the mandate.

Methods

We fielded a survey to study the attitudes of nurses toward COVID-19 vaccine mandate for HCWs. We contacted nurses in South Dakota, United States, based on the information from the South Dakota Board of Nursing. The survey was open in June and July 2022. We conducted a multivariate regression analysis to identify the factors that predict attitudes toward this regulation.

Results

We received 1,084 responses. Results of regression analysis showed statistically significant relationships between partisan self-identification, evangelical identity, gender, and COVID-19 vaccination status and support for COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers. Age, time with patients, positive COIVD-19 test in the last year, education, and nurse classification variables were not statistically significant.

Conclusions

The same factors that drive people's attitudes toward COVID-19 mitigation policies also explain nurses' attitudes toward a vaccine mandate for healthcare workers. The politicization of the COVID-19 pandemic is present also among nurses. Health care officials should be mindful of the influence of these biases as they evaluate the vaccine mandate and develop new regulations.

Potential determinants of vaccine hesitancy among celiac disease patients: a single cohort analysis

Introduction

Though researchers and scholars have greatly emphasized addressing the influencing factors of vaccination hesitancy, little attention has been paid to patients with celiac disease. Addressing the variables hampering attitudes might help direct appropriate patient advocacy and doctor-patient communication endeavors to encourage vaccination among celiac disease patients. The present investigation seeks to explore the coverage against vaccine-preventable diseases, vaccination attitudes, and related possible factors among celiac disease patients in the Pakistani setting.

Methods

A self-reported online survey was conducted in Islamabad, Pakistan, for celiac disease patients aged 18 and above. The questionnaire was completed by 226 participants, with a response rate of 43.8%. The influencing variables for vaccination hesitancy were examined, and 95% confidence intervals for the crude and adjusted odds ratios were computed.

Results

Among the study population, the majority were females, with a ratio of 75.66%. A prominent proportion of 69.03% was observed for influenza vaccination, while 39.82% were unable to recall all of the vaccinations they had previously received. Only 7% of the patients were considered to have a negative attitude toward vaccination, compared to an estimated 76% who were in favor of it. The significantly positive influencing factors observed toward vaccination were being well-educated (graduate, master, or above), possible recurrence of vaccine-preventable diseases with declining vaccination coverage (adjusted OR: 13.36), and increased confidence in vaccines from health care experts compared to electronic media (adjusted OR: 8.41). Contrarily, practicing complementary and alternative medicines (adjusted OR: 5.59), willingness to get vaccinated again in the future (adjusted OR: 15.59), and prior negative perspectives (adjusted OR: 1.01) were the determinants with a significant negative association.

Discussion

In conclusion, the outcomes of the current work raise the possibility that health practitioners may be accountable for inappropriately prescribing vaccines to this demographic since 77% of the participants had a favorable attitude toward vaccination. These findings could serve as a springboard for creating targeted immunization efforts to raise vaccination coverage against vaccine-preventive diseases among celiac disease patients.

Exploring stakeholders perspectives on TB contact investigation in Cali, Colombia: a qualitative study

Introduction

Contact investigation is a proven intervention for tuberculosis (TB) case finding and prevention. Although widely endorsed by national public health authorities and the World Health Organization, many countries struggle to implement it effectively. The objective of the study is to describe and characterize the barriers and facilitators of TB contact investigation in Cali, Colombia from the perspective and experience of the key stakeholders involved.

Methods

We collected data from group discussions during two workshop sessions with clinic and public health staff involved in TB contact investigation (June 2019 and March 2020 respectively) and semi-structured interviews with TB cases and their household contacts (July 2019 to April 2020). We undertook an inductive thematic analysis with the RADaR technique to characterize the barriers and facilitators of the TB contact investigation process.

Results

The two workshops included 21 clinics and 12 public health staff. We also conducted 26 semi-structured interviews with TB cases and their household contacts. Using thematic analysis, we identified four common themes: Healthcare Operations, Essential Knowledge, Time Limitations and Competing Responsibilities, and Interpersonal Interactions. The main barriers to conducting household visits were low data quality, stigma and mistrust, safety concerns for health workers, and limited resources. The main barriers to TB uptake by contacts were competing responsibilities, low TB risk perceptions among contacts, and difficulty accessing diagnostic tests for contacts. In contrast, good communication and social skills among health workers and accurate TB knowledge facilitated successful household visits and TB test uptake, according to key stakeholders.

Conclusion

This study provides a deeper understanding of TB contact investigation barriers and facilitators in a high-prevalence urban setting in a middle-income country from the perspective and experience of key stakeholders. The study shed light on the barriers that hinder household contacts engagement and TB test uptake such as issues of systemic capacity and TB knowledge. Also, highlighted facilitators such as the importance of interpersonal communication skills among health workers in the public and private sector. The insights from this study can serve as a valuable resource for public health organizations seeking to enhance their contact investigation efforts and improve TB control in similar settings.

How can we improve the acceptability of vaccination against Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in France? An original qualitative study with focus groups comprising parents and school staff, interviewed separately

BACKGROUND

It has been proven that vaccination is effective against Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infections, genital warts, and pre-cancerous and cancerous cervical lesions. Nevertheless, the HPV vaccine coverage of 37.4 % in 2021 in France is one of the lowest in Europe. To explore and understand the reason why French population is so late compared to its neighbours, we carried out focus groups with mothers and with National Education school staff. We aimed to identify knowledge and perceptions of HPV in both study populations, as well as factors influencing HPV vaccination.

METHODS

Between January 2020 and March 2021, we performed a qualitative study using an inductive approach with a thematic content analysis (TCA). We conducted semi-structured focus groups with 29 people including 15 mothers of adolescents in middle schools and 14 school staff from the national education system.

RESULTS

Different factors influenced the decision-making process of parents and school staff: knowledge and perceptions of HPV and its vaccine, sources of information about HPV and vaccination. Mothers' discourses differed from those of school staff. They mentioned the importance of gynaecological monitoring and the negative image of pharmaceutical companies, and questioned internet as a reliable source of information. For their part, school staff mentioned cultural and/or religious affiliation, municipalities' role to inform the population, and ethical dilemma or logistical challenges regarding HPV vaccination in schools.

CONCLUSION

The results of these focus groups provided information on which elements may harm or help HPV vaccination. Identified perceptions, beliefs, knowledge, barriers, and facilitators will help us to build an intervention program focus on general practitioners (GP), school staff, parents, and adolescents.

Self-perception and COVID-19 vaccination self-efficacy among Chinese adults: A moderated mediation model of mental health and trust

BACKGROUND

Optimal COVID-19 vaccination coverage is necessary to achieve community protection, and self-efficacy independently predict vaccination behavior. The current study examined the effect of self-perception on COVID-19 vaccination self-efficacy as well as potential mechanisms among Chinese adults.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted from four cities in China (n = 6781). Models 4 and 8 in Hayes' PROCESS macro were used to test models.

RESULTS

Self-perception (β = 0.128, 95 % CI: 0.093-0.163) and self-perception ∗ mental health (β = 0.009, 95 % CI: 0.003-0.014) were positively associated with trust in doctors and vaccine developers, while mental health was negatively related to trust in doctors and vaccine developers (β = -0.483, 95 % CI: -0.629-0.337). Self-perception (β = 0.149, 95 % CI: 0.138-0.161), trust in doctors and vaccine developers (β = 0.185, 95 % CI: 0.177-0.194) and self-perception ∗ mental health (β = 0.003, 95 % CI: 0.002-0.005) were positively associated with COVID-19 vaccination self-efficacy. Mental health was negatively related to COVID-19 vaccination self-efficacy (β = -0.101, 95 % CI: -0.151-0.051).

LIMITATIONS

This cross-sectional study collected data through online questionnaires.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results demonstrated that the relationship between self-perception and COVID-19 vaccination self-efficacy was partially mediated by trust in doctors and vaccine developers. Both the correlation between self-perception and COVID-19 vaccination self-efficacy, and the relationship between self-perception and trust in doctors and vaccine developers were moderated by mental health. Findings confirm that increasing COVID-19 vaccination self-efficacy would be facilitated by improvements in self-perception, mental health, and trust in doctors and vaccine developers.

Willingness of Healthcare Workers to Recommend or Receive a Third COVID-19 Vaccine Dose: A Cross-Sectional Study from Jordan

Background: The availability of COVID-19 vaccines worldwide necessitates measuring healthcare workers’ (HCWs’) willingness to recommend or receive these vaccines. Therefore, we conducted a local study in Jordan to assess HCWs’ willingness to recommend or receive a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and the predictors of such a decision. A cross-sectional study investigated Jordanian HCWs’ willingness regarding a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine using a self-administered online questionnaire through WhatsApp, a mobile phone application. A total of 300 HCWs participated in the current study. Of these HCWs, 65.3% were physicians, 25.3% were nurses, and 9.3% were pharmacists. HCWs’ overall willingness regarding a third vaccine dose was 68.4% (49.4% certainly and 19.0% probably), whereas the overall willingness of HCWs to recommend a third dose to their patients was 73.3% (49.0% certainly and 24.3% probably). Males had significantly higher willingness than females (82.1% vs. 60.1%, p < 0.05). Physicians reported more willingness than nurses and pharmacists. HCWs’ willingness was not significantly affected by direct contact with a patient infected with COVID-19 or by a personal history of COVID-19 infection. Only 31% of HCWs were certainly willing to recommend the vaccine to their patients with chronic diseases, and only 28% of the participants were certainly willing to recommend it to people aged 65 or older. HCWs’ willingness to receive a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine is limited in Jordan. This has affected their certainty in recommending this vaccine to their patients or people older than 60. Decision-makers and health-promotion programs in Jordan should focus on addressing this public health problem.

Determinants of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in Mozambique: The role of institutional trust

Background

Vaccination plays an imperative role in protecting public health and preventing avoidable mortality. Yet, the reasons for vaccine hesitancy in African countries are not well understood. This study investigates the factors associated with the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine in Mozambique, with a focus on the role of institutional trust.

Methods

The data came from the three waves of the COVID-19 Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) survey which followed a cohort of 1,371 adults in Mozambique over six months (N=3,809). We examined vaccine acceptance based on three measurements: willingness to take vaccine, perceived vaccine efficacy, and perceived vaccine safety. We conducted multilevel regression analysis to investigate the trajectories of, and the association between institutional trust and vaccine acceptance.

Results

One third of the survey participants (37%) would definitely take the vaccine. Meanwhile, 31% believed the vaccine would prevent the COVID-19 infection, and 27% believed the vaccine would be safe. There was a significant decrease in COVID-19 vaccine acceptance between waves 1 and 3 of the survey. Institutional trust was consistently and strongly correlated with different measures of vaccine acceptance. There was a greater decline in vaccine acceptance in people with lower institutional trust. The positive correlation between institutional trust and vaccine acceptance was stronger in younger than older adults. Vaccine acceptance also varied by gender and marital status.

Conclusions

Vaccine acceptance can be volatile even over short periods of time. Institutional trust is a central driver of vaccine acceptance and contributes to the resilience of the health system. Our study highlights the importance of health communication and building a trustful relationship between the general public and the institutions in the context of a global pandemic.

Education level modifies parental hesitancy about COVID-19 vaccinations for their children

It is important to encourage parental acceptance of children's vaccination against COVID-19 to ensure population immunity and mitigate morbidity and mortality. This study drew upon protection motivation theory (PMT) to explore the factors of parental hesitancy about vaccinating their children. A national online survey was performed in China. A total of 2054 Chinese parents of children aged 6-12 years were included in this study. They reported on measures that assessed hesitancy about children's vaccination against COVID-19, PMT constructs (susceptibility, severity, response efficacy, self-efficacy, and response costs) and sociodemographic characteristics. Chinese parents reported a hesitancy rate of 29.4% for children's vaccination. Parents with higher level education were more likely to hesitate to vaccinate their children against COVID-19. After controlling for parents' and children's demographic variables, logistic regression showed that parents' hesitancy about their children's vaccination increased if parents had lower levels of susceptibility, response efficacy or self-efficacy, as well as higher levels of response costs. In addition, a high educational level can significantly increase the promotive effect of response cost and the protective effect of response efficacy on vaccine hesitancy. In conclusion, our findings suggested that PMT can explain parents' vaccine hesitancy and that education level can modify the effect of copying appraisal, but not threat appraisal, on parental hesitancy. This study will help public health officials send targeted messages to parents to improve the rate of COVID-19 vaccination in children aged 6-12 years and thus reach a higher level of immunity in the population.

International adaptation and validation of the Pro-VC-Be: measuring the psychosocial determinants of vaccine confidence in healthcare professionals in European countries

BACKGROUND

Healthcare professionals (HCPs) play an important role in vaccination; those with low confidence in vaccines are less likely to recommend them to their patients and to be vaccinated themselves. The study's purpose was to adapt and validate long- and short-form versions of the International Professionals' Vaccine Confidence and Behaviors (I-Pro-VC-Be) questionnaire to measure psychosocial determinants of HCPs' vaccine confidence and their associations with vaccination behaviors in European countries.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

After the original French-language Pro-VC-Be was culturally adapted and translated, HCPs involved in vaccination (mainly GPs and pediatricians) across Germany, Finland, France, and Portugal completed a cross-sectional online survey in 2022. A 10-factor multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (MG-CFA) of the long-form (10 factors comprising 34 items) tested for measurement invariance across countries. Modified multiple Poisson regressions tested the criterion validity of both versions.

RESULTS

2,748 HCPs participated. The 10-factor structure fit was acceptable to good everywhere. The final MG-CFA model confirmed strong factorial invariance and showed very good fit. The long- and short-form I-Pro-VC-Be had good criterion validity with vaccination behaviors.

CONCLUSION

This study validates the I-Pro-VC-Be among HCPs in four European countries; including long- and short-form tools for use in research and public health.

Factors influencing healthcare professionals' confidence in vaccination in Europe: a literature review

Health-care professionals (HCPs) have a fundamental role in vaccination, their own beliefs and attitudes affecting both their uptake and recommendation of vaccines. This literature review (n = 89) summarises evidence on HCPs’ perceptions of the risks and benefits of vaccination, trust, and perceptions of mandatory vaccination in Europe. HCPs across studies believed that vaccination is important to protect themselves and their patients. However, beliefs that some diseases such as influenza are less risky were reported by some HCPs as a reason for not getting vaccinated. Concerns about both short- and long-term side effects were identified among HCPs in most studies, such as those affecting the immune or neurological system. Mistrust toward health authorities and pharmaceutical industry was reported in some studies. The question of mandatory vaccination revealed mixed opinions, with some favoring self-determination and others viewing vaccination as a duty. This review highlights key factors influencing HCPs’ confidence in vaccination in Europe.

A mixed methods study of health care professionals’ attitudes towards vaccination in 15 countries

Background

Health care professionals are widely considered to be the most trusted source of information on vaccine-related topics. However, several are reporting their own hesitancy around certain vaccines, influencing their intention to vaccinate themselves as well as influencing their recommendations to their patients and target population.

Methods

A mixed-methods approach was used including an online survey (n = 1,504) in 15 countries which aimed to determine drivers of HCPs vaccine confidence and examine how these drivers vary across nations. Thirty in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 HCPs in a subset of three countries (France, Greece and Hungry) to explore barriers to HCPs vaccine uptake and their role in addressing vaccine hesitancy among patients.

Findings.

The survey’s regression analysis identified that nurses/midwives and HCPs from Hungary, Italy, Romania and Switzerland were less confident in the safety, importance or effectiveness of vaccines in general. Morocco (35%), Turkey (53%) and Greece (69%) reported the lowest influenza vaccination coverage among HCPs. Morocco also reported the lowest rates of HCPs who were “highly likely” to recommend MMR vaccine (34%), HPV vaccine (31%) and Covid-19 vaccines (29%). More than third of HCPs reported a lack of trust in health authorities and in the information they provide. Thematic analysis revealed that concerns over the risk of side-effects associated with vaccines, preference for natural immunity, whether it was necessary to be vaccinated against influenza every year, not having any chronic disease risk factors, and vaccines mandates as the key barriers to HCPs vaccination against influenza and Covid-19.

Conclusion

HCPs have an important role in vaccination and their confidence in vaccination and health authorities must be improved as this may affect their uptake of vaccines and influence their recommendations to their patients. Investigating the impact of political, socio-economic and cultural contexts on concerns about vaccination among HCPs is also necessary.

A systematic literature review to clarify the concept of vaccine hesitancy

Vaccine hesitancy (VH) is considered a top-10 global health threat. The concept of VH has been described and applied inconsistently. This systematic review aims to clarify VH by analysing how it is operationalized. We searched PubMed, Embase and PsycINFO databases on 14 January 2022. We selected 422 studies containing operationalizations of VH for inclusion. One limitation is that studies of lower quality were not excluded. Our qualitative analysis reveals that VH is conceptualized as involving (1) cognitions or affect, (2) behaviour and (3) decision making. A wide variety of methods have been used to measure VH. Our findings indicate the varied and confusing use of the term VH, leading to an impracticable concept. We propose that VH should be defined as a state of indecisiveness regarding a vaccination decision.

Understanding Primary Care Physician Vaccination Behaviour: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Vaccine hesitancy decreases adult vaccination coverage and has been recognized by WHO as a major health threat. Primary care physicians (PCP) play a key role in vaccination by giving vaccine counselling to their patients. The aim of this systematic review is to identify the knowledge, beliefs, attitudes and barriers (KBAB) associated with own vaccination and patient recommendation in primary care physicians.

METHODS

MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Library databases were used to search and identify relevant studies based on their title and abstract. In the next step, the full text of each previously selected article was read for eligibility. Articles were selected by two independent reviewers and data extraction was performed using tables. The following information was extracted: methodological characteristics, demographic factors, professional characteristics, and intrinsic or extrinsic factors influencing vaccination or recommendation.

RESULTS

Our search yielded 41 eligible papers, data-sources, previous practices, belief in the effectiveness or safety of the vaccine, perceived risk, and trust in health authorities were all shown to be related to own vaccination and patient recommendation.

CONCLUSION

Internet is the main source of information for PCP related to vaccine hesitancy. It is therefore essential to increase the presence and access to pro-vaccination content in this area. In addition, involving PCP in the establishment of vaccination recommendations could improve their credibility in the institutions. On the other hand, training in communication skills and establishing reminder systems could reflect higher vaccination coverage among their patients.

Measuring psychosocial determinants of vaccination behavior in healthcare professionals: validation of the Pro-VC-Be short-form questionnaire

BACKGROUND

Vaccine confidence among health care professionals (HCPs) is a key determinant of vaccination behaviors. We validate a short-form version of the 31-item Pro-VC-Be (Health Professionals Vaccine Confidence and Behaviors) questionnaire that measures HCPs' confidence in and commitment to vaccination.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A cross-sectional survey among 2,696 HCPs established a long-form tool to measure 10 dimensions of psychosocial determinants of vaccination behaviors. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) models tested the construct validity of 69,984 combinations of items in a 10-item short form tool. The criterion validity of this tool was tested with four behavioral and attitudinal outcomes using weighted modified Poisson regressions. An immunization resource score was constructed from summing the responses of the dimensions that can influence HCPs' pro-vaccination behaviors: vaccine confidence, proactive efficacy, and trust in authorities.

RESULTS

The short-form tool showed good construct validity in CFA analyses (RMSEA = 0.035 [0.024; 0.045]; CFI = 0.956; TLI = 0.918; SRMR 0.027) and comparable criterion validity to the long-form tool. The immunization resource score showed excellent criterion validity.

CONCLUSIONS

The Pro-VC-Be short-form showed good construct validity and criterion validity similar to the long-form and can therefore be used to measure determinants of vaccination behaviors among HCPs.

Perceptions and experiences of COVID-19 vaccines’ side effects among healthcare workers at an Egyptian University Hospital: a cross-sectional study

Background

A safe and effective vaccine is the ultimate key to mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic. Vaccine acceptance is influenced by various factors, including perceptions about the vaccine’s safety and side effects. The side effects vary depending on the type of the vaccine, but they are mainly mild, local, temporary, and self-limiting.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was carried out at Tanta University Hospitals, including 1246 healthcare workers who received either the first or the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, selected via a systematic random sampling technique using a self-administered structured validated questionnaire for data collection from November 2021 to January 2022. Qualitative data were presented as frequencies and percentages and analyzed using Chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests.

Results

The prevalence of one or more side effects was 91.3%. Among participants, about two-thirds believed in vaccine safety and its necessity (65.4% and 63.6%, respectively). Significantly more participants (46.9%) were concerned about AstraZeneca thrombotic complications than other vaccine types. The top five side effects reported by participants were injection site pain (64.8%), sense of fatigue (57.1%), headache (49.9%), muscle pain (48.7%), and fever (46.5). Most of the side effects were significantly higher among participants vaccinated with AstraZeneca. Side effects impacted work capacity of 23.4%, which was significantly higher among participants who received AstraZeneca (33.6%).

Conclusion

Participants had a good level of belief in vaccination safety and necessity. Healthcare workers who got the AstraZeneca vaccination reported more adverse effects than other vaccines. Injection site pain, fatigue, headache, muscle pains, and fever were the most frequently reported side effects. More research on vaccination safety is needed to understand the long-term adverse effects of vaccinations better, improve the public trust, and accelerate vaccine adoption.

Vaccine hesitancy in health-care providers in Western countries: a narrative review

INTRODUCTION

Vaccine hesitancy (VH) is a leading cause of suboptimal vaccine uptake rates worldwide. The interaction between patients and health-care providers (HCPs) is the keystone in addressing VH. However, significant proportions of HCPs, including those who administer vaccines, are personally and professionally vaccine-hesitant.

AREAS COVERED

This narrative review sought to characterize the nature, extent, correlates, and consequences of VH among HCPs. We included 39 quantitative and qualitative studies conducted in Western countries, published since 2015, that assessed VH among HCPs in general, for several vaccines. Studies were reviewed using the WHO 3Cs model - (lack of) confidence, complacency, and (lack of) convenience.

EXPERT OPINION

Despite the lack of validated tools and substantial heterogeneity in the methods used to measure VH among HCPs, this review confirms its presence in this population, at frequencies that vary by country, profession type, setting, and level of medical education. Lack of knowledge and mistrust in health authorities/pharmaceutical industry/experts were among its principal drivers. Improving the content about vaccination in HCPs' training programs, facilitating access to reliable information for use during consultations, and developing and validating instruments to measure HCPs' VH and its determinants are key to addressing VH among HCPs.

An instrument to measure psychosocial determinants of health care professionals' vaccination behavior: Validation of the Pro-VC-Be questionnaire

OBJECTIVES

The lack of validated instruments assessing vaccine hesitancy/confidence among health care professionals (HCPs) for themselves, and their patients led us to develop and validate the Pro-VC-Be instrument to measure vaccine confidence and other psychosocial determinants of HCPs' vaccination behavior among diverse HCPs in different countries.

METHODS

Cross-sectional survey in October-November 2020 among 1,249 GPs in France, 432 GPs in French-speaking parts of Belgium, and 1,055 nurses in Quebec (Canada), all participating in general population immunization. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses evaluated the instrument's construct validity. We used HCPs' self-reported vaccine recommendations to patients, general immunization activity, self-vaccination, and future COVID-19 vaccine acceptance to test criterion validity.

RESULTS

The final results indicated a 6-factor structure with good fit: vaccine confidence (combining complacency, perceived vaccine risks, perceived benefit-risk balance, perceived collective responsibility), trust in authorities, perceived constraints, proactive efficacy (combining commitment to vaccination and self-efficacy), reluctant trust, and openness to patients. The instrument showed good convergent and criterion validity and adequate discriminant validity.

CONCLUSIONS

This study found that the Pro-VC-Be is a valid instrument for measuring psychosocial determinants of HCPs' vaccination behaviors in different settings. Its validation is currently underway in Europe among various HCPs in different languages.

COVID-19 vaccine intention among young adults: Comparative results from a cross-sectional study in Canada and France

Background

High rates of COVID-19 vaccination uptake are required to attain community immunity. This study aims to identify factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine uncertainty and refusal among young adults, an underexplored population with regards to vaccine intention generally, in two high-income settings: Canada and France.

Methods

A cross-sectional online survey was conducted from October to December 2020 among young adults ages 18–29 years (n = 6663) living in Canada (51.9%) and France (48.1%). Multinomial logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the sociodemographic and COVID-19-related measures (e.g., prevention behavior and perspectives, health-related concerns) associated with vaccine uncertainty and refusal. We conducted weighted analyses by age, gender and province/region of residence.

Results

Intention to accept vaccination was reported by 84.3% and 59.7% of the sample in Canada and France, respectively. Higher levels of vaccine uncertainty and refusal were observed in France compared to Canada (30.1% versus 11%, 10.2% versus 4.7%). In both countries, we found higher levels of vaccine acceptance among young adults who reported COVID-19 prevention actions. Vaccine uncertainty and refusal were associated with living in a rural area, having lower levels of educational attainment, not looking for information about COVID-19, not wearing a face mask, and reporting a lower level of concern for COVID-19′s impact on family. Participants who had been tested for COVID-19 were less likely to intend to refuse a vaccine.

Conclusions

COVID-19 vaccine acceptance was high among young adults in Canada and France during a time in which vaccines were approved for use. Targeted interventions to build confidence in demographic groups with greater hesitance (e.g., rural and with less personal experience with COVID-19) may further boost acceptance and improve equity as vaccine efforts continue to unfold.

Universal Predictors of Dental Students' Attitudes towards COVID-19 Vaccination: Machine Learning-Based Approach

BACKGROUND

young adults represent a critical target for mass-vaccination strategies of COVID-19 that aim to achieve herd immunity. Healthcare students, including dental students, are perceived as the upper echelon of health literacy; therefore, their health-related beliefs, attitudes and behaviors influence their peers and communities. The main aim of this study was to synthesize a data-driven model for the predictors of COVID-19 vaccine willingness among dental students.

METHODS

a secondary analysis of data extracted from a recently conducted multi-center and multi-national cross-sectional study of dental students' attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination in 22 countries was carried out utilizing decision tree and regression analyses. Based on previous literature, a proposed conceptual model was developed and tested through a machine learning approach to elicit factors related to dental students' willingness to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

RESULTS

machine learning analysis suggested five important predictors of COVID-19 vaccination willingness among dental students globally, i.e., the economic level of the country where the student lives and studies, the individual's trust of the pharmaceutical industry, the individual's misconception of natural immunity, the individual's belief of vaccines risk-benefit-ratio, and the individual's attitudes toward novel vaccines.

CONCLUSIONS

according to the socio-ecological theory, the country's economic level was the only contextual predictor, while the rest were individual predictors. Future research is recommended to be designed in a longitudinal fashion to facilitate evaluating the proposed model. The interventions of controlling vaccine hesitancy among the youth population may benefit from improving their views of the risk-benefit ratio of COVID-19 vaccines. Moreover, healthcare students, including dental students, will likely benefit from increasing their awareness of immunization and infectious diseases through curricular amendments.

Early COVID-19 Vaccination of Romanian Medical and Social Personnel

Background: In December 2020, the first doses of COVID-19 vaccines arrived in Romania and were made available to medical and social staff. Vaccine hesitancy appeared as a barrier to effectively ending the pandemic. The opinions of medical and social staff influence the opinion of the general population. This study assesess the attitudes, knowledge, and opinion of medical and social personnel toward COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination and the influencing factors. Methods: 1025 persons participated in an online cross-sectional study from March until July 2021. Results: Out of 1021 eligible responders, 719 (70.42%) had been vaccinated: 227 with one dose (22.23%) and 492 with two doses (48.18%). There were 302 responders who were not vaccinated at all. Out of them, 188 refused vaccinations. The participants showed a good understanding and knowledge of SARScoV-2 transmission and treatment. Geographic area, medical profession, and medical experience influenced COVID-19 vaccination (p < 0.001). There were no associations between willingness to vaccinate and vaccine/virus knowledge. Most of the responders who were vaccinated or wanted to be vaccinated indicated an mRNA vaccine as their first choice. The variables that were significantly associated with reporting COVID-19 vaccine acceptance after logistic regression were: living in an urban area (Ora = 1.58, 95% CI: 0.98–2.56), being female (Ora = 1.59; 95% CI:1.03–2.44), and being a medical doctor (Ora = 3.40; 95% CI: 1.84–6.26). Conclusions: These findings show that vaccine hesitancy persists in medical and social personnel in Romania, and, hence, it may be reflected in the hesitancy of the general population toward vaccination.

Health Belief Model Perspective on the Control of COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and the Promotion of Vaccination in China: Web-Based Cross-sectional Study

Background

The control of vaccine hesitancy and the promotion of vaccination are key protective measures against COVID-19.

Objective

This study assesses the prevalence of vaccine hesitancy and the vaccination rate and examines the association between factors of the health belief model (HBM) and vaccination.

Methods

A convenience sample of 2531 valid participants from 31 provinces and autonomous regions of mainland China were enrolled in this online survey study from January 1 to 24, 2021. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify the associations of the vaccination rate and HBM factors with the prevalence of vaccine hesitancy after other covariates were controlled.

Results

The prevalence of vaccine hesitancy was 44.3% (95% CI 42.3%-46.2%), and the vaccination rate was 10.4% (9.2%-11.6%). The factors that directly promoted vaccination behavior were a lack of vaccine hesitancy (odds ratio [OR] 7.75, 95% CI 5.03-11.93), agreement with recommendations from friends or family for vaccination (OR 3.11, 95% CI 1.75-5.52), and absence of perceived barriers to COVID-19 vaccination (OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.35-0.75). The factors that were directly associated with a higher vaccine hesitancy rate were a high level of perceived barriers (OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.36-1.95) and perceived benefits (OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.32-0.79). A mediating effect of self-efficacy, influenced by perceived barriers (standardized structure coefficient [SSC]=−0.71, P<.001), perceived benefits (SSC=0.58, P<.001), agreement with recommendations from authorities (SSC=0.27, P<.001), and agreement with recommendations from friends or family (SSC=0.31, P<.001), was negatively associated with vaccination (SSC=−0.45, P<.001) via vaccine hesitancy (SSC=−0.32, P<.001).

Conclusions

It may be possible to increase the vaccination rate by reducing vaccine hesitancy and perceived barriers to vaccination and by encouraging volunteers to advocate for vaccination to their friends and family members. It is also important to reduce vaccine hesitancy by enhancing self-efficacy for vaccination, due to its crucial mediating function.

Diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) vaccination: understanding the perspectives and expectations of parents and healthcare professionals in France and India

Diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) combination vaccines are a cornerstone of infant vaccinations worldwide. DTP vaccine acceptance could be impacted by sub-optimal relationships between parents and healthcare professionals (HCPs). This survey, conducted in France and India between 14/2/2020 and 26/3/2020, aimed to understand perspectives and expectations of parents and HCPs toward DTP vaccination. Participants were parents (parents/guardians of ≤3-year-old children; France: n = 1002, India: n = 1021) and HCPs (general practitioners/pediatricians initiating DTP vaccination; France: n = 300; India: n = 300) who chose to take part. A representative sample of parents was achieved via quotas and random iterative weighting to match key demographics of the target population. In India, only parents from socio-economic classes A/B/C and private HCPs were included. Whilst DTP vaccine acceptance was high among parents in France (85%) and India (98%), French HCPs overestimated parental acceptance (99% thought parents were very/fairly accepting). The proportions of parents reporting that the HCP is someone they trust versus the proportions of HCPs wanting to be seen as trusted were discrepant in France (76% versus 90%) but not India (83% versus 85%). Some surveyed parents indicated that, ideally, they would like some input in vaccine brand decisions alongside HCPs, an opinion shared by some HCPs. In France, short-term experience post-vaccination was more important to parents than HCPs, for whom long-term protection was more important. In India, these aspects were equally important to both. Increased awareness of parents’ priorities and concerns regarding DTP vaccination can support HCPs in their discussions with parents and help build trust, which may impact vaccine acceptance.

Predictors of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among Egyptian healthcare workers: a cross-sectional study

Background

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination has raised concerns about vaccine hesitancy in general and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in particular. Understanding the factors driving the uncertainty regarding vaccination against COVID-19 is crucial.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was designed to identify the perceptions and attitudes of healthcare workers (HCWs) towards COVID-19 vaccines and determine the predictive factors that affect their willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. An online survey was distributed among HCWs to collect data assessing demographic and general characteristics of the participants and vaccine-related characteristics, including source of information about the vaccine. In addition to items assessing the perception of COVID-19, there were items on COVID-19 vaccines and attitude towards vaccination in general and towards COVID-19 vaccines in particular.

Results

The participants were classified according to their willingness to take the COVID-19 vaccine as follows: hesitant (41.9%), refusing (32.1%), and willing (26%). Statistically significant differences were observed among the three groups for the perception of COVID-19 vaccines, attitude towards vaccination in general, and COVID-19 vaccines in particular (p < 0.01).

Conclusions

Although the participants adequately perceived COVID-19 severity, prevention, and COVID-19 vaccine safety, they were widely hesitant or refused to be vaccinated. A multidimensional approach is required to increase the vaccine acceptability rate. Higher income and increased years of work experience are positive predictors of willingness to receive a vaccine. Thus, further studies addressing the scope of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy are warranted as an initial step to build trust in COVID-19 vaccination efforts with continuous monitoring of attitudes and practices of HCWs towards COVID-19 vaccines in the future.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12879-021-06392-1.

Healthcare Providers' Vaccine Perceptions, Hesitancy, and Recommendation to Patients: A Systematic Review

Despite vaccines' effectiveness in reducing the rate of preventable diseases, vaccine hesitancy has threatened public health and economies worldwide. Healthcare providers' (HCP) communications and behavior strongly influence patient receptivity and uptake. The goal of this review was to examine HCP vaccine perceptions, knowledge, and reservations and how these attitudes affect their recommendations and vaccination practices. Primary research studies published by 16 September 2020 were searched in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, CINAHL, and PsycINFO. A 14-item scale was developed for survey study and risk of bias appraisal (SSRBA). In total, 96 papers from 34 countries were included, covering 17 vaccines (HPV and influenza vaccines the most studied). Recommendation was positively associated with provider knowledge and experience, beliefs about disease risk, and perceptions of vaccine safety, necessity, and efficacy. HCP vaccination attitudes and practices varied across specialties, vaccines, and countries; demographic impact was inconclusive. Barriers included anticipation of patient/parental concerns or refusal, lacking clear guidelines, time constraints, and cost. For HPV, vaccines were more often recommended to older, female adolescents and by physicians who discussed sexual health. HCPs are vital advocates for patients and the public, but studies indicated a prevalence of provider hesitancy pertaining to inadequate knowledge, low vaccine confidence, and suboptimal uptake themselves. Improving HCP knowledge and assuring their access to information they deem trustworthy are essential to supporting HCPs' role as "trusted messengers" to promote vaccine acceptance.

Vaccine hesitancy among hospital staff physicians: A cross-sectional survey in France in 2019

BACKGROUND

Healthcare professionals, because they recommend vaccines to their patients, answer their questions, and vaccinate them, are the cornerstone of vaccination in France. They can nonetheless be affected by vaccine hesitancy (VH).

AIMS

We sought to study the opinions, practices, and perceptions of French hospital staff physicians (HSPs) toward vaccination and the prevalence and correlates of VH among them.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional survey in 14 public hospitals in France from September 2018 to October 2019. HSPs completed a standardized questionnaire -most of the time face-to-face - about their vaccine-related attitudes and practices. Data were weighted for age and sex. An agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis of the HSPs' perceptions and opinions toward vaccination allowed us to identify vaccine-hesitant HSPs, and multiple Poisson regression with robust standard errors let us study the factors associated with VH.

RESULTS

The study included 1,795 HSPs (participation rate: 86%). Almost all (93.7%) were strongly favorable to vaccination, even though 42.2% (95CI = 39.8-44.6) showed moderate VH. VH prevalence was lowest among infectious disease specialists (12.3%; 95CI = 6.7-21.3) and pediatricians (27.7%; 95CI = 21.4-35.2). Hesitant HSPs were less trustful of vaccination information sources and doubted the safety of vaccines more often than HSPs with almost no VH. Compared with non-hesitant HSPs, those with higher VH had less often taken a medical course about vaccination and were less likely to be vaccinated against seasonal influenza, to recommend vaccines to their patients and to try to convince vaccine-hesitant patients to be vaccinated.

CONCLUSIONS

Strong favorability to vaccination does not prevent VH, which was observed in most specialties. Interventions are required to help hesitant HSPs to adopt more proactive vaccination practices.

Trust, emotions and risks: Pregnant women's perceptions, confidence and decision-making practices around maternal vaccination in France

Maternal vaccination is an important strategy to reduce maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity. Yet, vaccination uptake is suboptimal in many countries, including France. This mixed-method study aimed to identify factors influencing maternal vaccination, exploring pregnant women's perceptions, confidence, and decision-making processes in France. Maternal vaccination uptake was positively associated with awareness of maternal vaccines, confidence in vaccine effectiveness and receiving a recommendation from a healthcare professional. A trusting relationship with healthcare professionals was observed as crucial for women during pregnancy. Even if women considered themselves as sole decision-makers, healthcare professionals' role in decision-making was viewed as substantial. Pregnancy can be a complex time for assessing risks, which was evident in the strong emotional reactions to maternal vaccination and anxieties about safety. As new maternal vaccines are developed, it is crucial to consider women's values, risk perceptions and emotions in the development of strategies to support acceptance of maternal vaccination.

Cognitions and behaviours of general practitioners in France regarding HPV vaccination: A theory-based systematic review

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination is safe and efficacious to prevent persistent HPV infection, precancerous anogenital lesions and cervical cancer. However, in countries where vaccination programmes are implemented outside of schools, such as France, reaching high HPV vaccination coverage of the target population is challenging. Many studies have been performed in France to assess cognitions of general practitioners (GPs) regarding HPV vaccination. However, the evidence is not consistent about which cognitions are key. To provide a comprehensive overview, we performed a systematic review of studies conducted in France on GPs' cognitions regarding HPV vaccination and used the reasoned action approach to extract and synthesize data. The systematic search was performed up to July 2020 in Medline via PubMed, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, Embase, CINAHL Plus, Web of Science, Pascal and Francis databases. Grey literature was searched for in the French Public Health Database, Cairn. Info, yahoo.fr, and Google Scholar. Twenty-five scientific publications were selected based on eligibility criteria and assessed for quality. Our qualitative synthesis highlights that although 73% of GPs report recommending HPV vaccination, up to 50% would not recommend it because of concerns, including changes in patients' health behaviours and doubts about safety and/or efficacy. GPs' injunctive norms, i.e. trust in institutional information, were shown to be associated positively with GPs' willingness to recommend HPV vaccination. Parents' fears, girls' age, and potential connection with sexuality do not seem to affect GPs' recommendations. These results will inform the development of a professional educational intervention targeting GPs in France.

Attitudes of healthcare workers towards COVID-19 vaccination: a survey in France and French-speaking parts of Belgium and Canada, 2020

In October and November 2020, we conducted a survey of 2,678 healthcare workers (HCWs) involved in general population immunisation in France, French-speaking Belgium and Quebec, Canada to assess acceptance of future COVID-19 vaccines (i.e. willingness to receive or recommend these) and its determinants. Of the HCWs, 48.6% (n = 1,302) showed high acceptance, 23.0% (n = 616) moderate acceptance and 28.4% (n = 760) hesitancy/reluctance. Hesitancy was mostly driven by vaccine safety concerns. These must be addressed before/during upcoming vaccination campaigns.

Vaccine hesitancy among general practitioners in Southern France and their reluctant trust in the health authorities

Purpose: Vaccine hesitancy is common in France, including among general practitioners (GPs).  We aimed to understand vaccine hesitant GPs’ views towards vaccines. Method: We conducted in-depth interviews that were thematically analysed. Result: We found that, facilitated by health scandals and vaccine controversies—that according to participants were not effectively handled by health authorities—the implicit contract existing between health authorities and GPs has been ruptured. This contract implies that health authorities support GPs in making vaccine recommendations by addressing GPs’ own concerns, providing them with adequate and up-to-date information and advice, and involving them in vaccine decision-making. In turn, GPs encourage vaccination to reach vaccine coverage targets. Conclusion: The rupture of this implicit contract has led to a breach in trust in the health authorities and the vaccines that they recommend.

The role of alternative and complementary medical practices in vaccine hesitancy among nurses: A cross-sectional survey in Brittany

INTRODUCTION

Given today's increasing calling into question of vaccination, we have studied possible connections between alternative and complementary medical practices (CAM) and vaccine hesitancy (VH) among nurses.

METHOD

Ours was a cross-sectional study by self-administered online questionnaire addressed to a panel of nurses in Brittany. After adjustment for other proximal and distal determinants of VH, we examined the impact of CAM use.

RESULTS

Multivariate logistic regressions confirmed the existence of a link between CAM and VH. While trust in medical institutions seems to have an important role, CAM use appears largely independent of VH.

CONCLUSION

Association between CAM and VH in nurses raises the question not only of their training with respect to these alternative practices, but also of the role of medical institutions in the training of practitioners availing themselves of the latter.

Factors Associated With US Adults' Likelihood of Accepting COVID-19 Vaccination

IMPORTANCE

The development of a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine has progressed at unprecedented speed. Widespread public uptake of the vaccine is crucial to stem the pandemic.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the factors associated with survey participants' self-reported likelihood of selecting and receiving a hypothetical COVID-19 vaccine.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

A survey study of a nonprobability convenience sample of 2000 recruited participants including a choice-based conjoint analysis was conducted to estimate respondents' probability of choosing a vaccine and willingness to receive vaccination. Participants were asked to evaluate their willingness to receive each hypothetical vaccine individually. The survey presented respondents with 5 choice tasks. In each, participants evaluated 2 hypothetical COVID-19 vaccines and were asked whether they would choose vaccine A, vaccine B, or neither vaccine. Vaccine attributes included efficacy, protection duration, major adverse effects, minor adverse effects, US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval process, national origin of vaccine, and endorsement. Levels of each attribute for each vaccine were randomly assigned, and attribute order was randomized across participants. Survey data were collected on July 9, 2020.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Average marginal component effect sizes and marginal means were calculated to estimate the relationship between each vaccine attribute level and the probability of the respondent choosing a vaccine and self-reported willingness to receive vaccination.

RESULTS

A total of 1971 US adults responded to the survey (median age, 43 [interquartile range, 30-58] years); 999 (51%) were women, 1432 (73%) White, 277 (14%) were Black, and 190 (10%) were Latinx. An increase in efficacy from 50% to 70% was associated with a higher probability of choosing a vaccine (coefficient, 0.07; 95% CI, 0.06-0.09), and an increase from 50% to 90% was associated with a higher probability of choosing a vaccine (coefficient, 0.16; 95% CI, 0.15-0.18). An increase in protection duration from 1 to 5 years was associated with a higher probability of choosing a vaccine (coefficient, 0.05 95% CI, 0.04-0.07). A decrease in the incidence of major adverse effects from 1 in 10 000 to 1 in 1 000 000 was associated with a higher probability of choosing a vaccine (coefficient, 0.07; 95% CI, 0.05-0.08). An FDA emergency use authorization was associated with a lower probability of choosing a vaccine (coefficient, -0.03; 95% CI, -0.04 to -0.01) compared with full FDA approval. A vaccine that originated from a non-US country was associated with a lower probability of choosing a vaccine (China: -0.13 [95% CI, -0.15 to -0.11]; UK: -0.04 [95% CI, -0.06 to -0.02]). Endorsements from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (coefficient, 0.09; 95% CI, 0.07-0.11) and the World Health Organization (coefficient, 0.06; 95% CI, 0.04-0.08), compared with an endorsement from President Trump were associated with higher probabilities of choosing a vaccine. Analyses of participants' willingness to receive each vaccine when assessed individually yielded similar results. An increase in efficacy from 50% to 90% was associated with a 10% higher marginal mean willingness to receive a vaccine (from 0.51 to 0.61). A reduction in the incidence of major side effects was associated with a 4% higher marginal mean willingness to receive a vaccine (from 0.54 to 0.58). A vaccine originating in China was associated with a 10% lower willingness to receive a vaccine vs one developed in the US (from 0.60 to 0.50) Endorsements from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization were associated with increases in willingness to receive a vaccine (7% and 6%, respectively) from a baseline endorsement by President Trump (from 0.52 to 0.59 and from 0.52 to 0.58, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In this survey study of US adults, vaccine-related attributes and political characteristics were associated with self-reported preferences for choosing a hypothetical COVID-19 vaccine and self-reported willingness to receive vaccination. These results may help inform public health campaigns to address vaccine hesitancy when a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available.

Factors affecting the vaccination choices of pregnant women for their children: a systematic review of the literature

In recent years, an increase in vaccine hesitancy has led to a decrease in vaccination coverage in several countries. We conducted a systematic review of studies that assessed knowledge of and attitudes toward pediatric vaccinations, and the vaccination choices and their determinants among pregnant women. A total of 6,277 records were retrieved, and 16 full texts were included in the narrative synthesis. The published literature on the topic shows that, overall, pregnant women believe that vaccines are important for the protection of their children and the community, but various concerns and misunderstandings persist around vaccine safety and efficacy, which reduce the trust of expectant mothers in immunization. Nevertheless, such attitudes and choices vary depending on the vaccine being considered and the corresponding determinants should therefore be studied in the context of each specific vaccination. Further research on this topic is needed, particularly in non-western countries.

Seasonal influenza vaccine uptake and vaccine refusal among pregnant women in France: results from a national survey

Pregnant women and infants are at high risk for severe influenza and many countries, including France, recommend annual influenza immunization during pregnancy. We aimed to estimate influenza vaccination and refusal rates and assess associated factors among pregnant women during the 2015-16 season in France. We used data from a national representative sample of women who gave birth in March 2016 and were interviewed before hospital discharge (N = 11,752). In the multivariable analysis, robust Poisson regression models were used to study associations with maternal characteristics and prenatal care characteristics. Influenza vaccine coverage among pregnant women was 7.4% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.9-7.9). Only 24.9% (95% CI: 24.2-25.7) of women said that they received a care provider proposal for vaccination and 70.4% (95% CI: 68.7-72.0) of these declined it. Vaccine uptake was associated with low parity (prevalence ratio [PR] = 2.1; 95% CI: 1.4-3.2 for parity 0 vs ≥ 3), high educational level (PR = 2.5; 95% CI: 2.0-3.2), healthcare occupation during pregnancy (PR = 1.8; 95% CI: 1.5-2.1) and preexisting conditions at risk for influenza (PR = 1.7; 95% CI: 1.3-2.2). Women were more frequently vaccinated when their main care provider was a general practitioner. Multiparae women and those with medium or low educational level were significantly more likely than others to decline influenza vaccine after a provider proposal. Influenza vaccine coverage is very low in France, mainly because of infrequent care provider proposals and also frequent women's refusals. Effective interventions should be designed to promote vaccination among medical professionals and reduce vaccine hesitancy among pregnant women.

Perceived trust in the health system among mothers and nurses and its relationship to the issue of vaccinations among the Arab population of Israel: A qualitative research study

The literature indicates that trust plays an important role in people's decision-making with respect to vaccinations. This research seeks to examine the impact of trust on the high response rate to vaccinations among the minority Arab population living in Israel. The research employs the qualitative phenomenological research method, using personal interviews to identify and analyze perceived trust among mothers of young children and teenagers (n = 70) and among nurses (n = 20) in the Arab population in the context of vaccinations and the high response rate to vaccinations among this population. The research findings point to differing levels of trust in the medical system. The participants placed the highest trust in the nurses working in the Tipat Halav Family Health Centers run by the Ministry of Health. These nurses are the main communicators of information about childhood vaccinations in Israel. Moreover, the interviewees saw vaccinations as an example of the state offering equal and optimal services to the Arab minority population. In addition, the interviewees consider the explanatory materials to be limited, superficial and not culturally appropriate. These positive attitudes toward vaccinations alongside reports that no importance is attributed to the explanatory materials due to their low quality may cause the population to accept vaccination recommendations as they are and to delegate responsibility and authority to the state.

Acceptance of pregnant women's vaccination against pertussis among French women and health professionals: PREVACOQ-1 and -2 studies

OBJECTIVES

Protection of French young infants against pertussis only relies on their relatives' vaccination. The alternative is vaccination of pregnant women against pertussis (cocooning strategy), but this strategy is not yet recommended in France. We assessed the acceptance of this strategy among French postpartum women and health professionals.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We performed a multicenter survey in 2016 among postpartum women and health professionals (family physicians, obstetricians-gynecologists, midwives, and medical students) to determine the acceptance of anti-pertussis vaccination. We evaluated knowledge, perception, and attitude towards vaccination to identify factors associated with acceptance.

RESULTS

Questionnaires were completed by 52% (1208/2337) of women and 40% (694/1754) of health professionals. Seventy-seven per cent of women (95% CI: 74-79) and 93% of health professionals (95% CI: 91-95) were favorable to anti-pertussis vaccination of pregnant women. Thirty-three per cent (227/687) of health professionals believed that pertussis induced life-long immunity and 20% (136/687) of them were not aware of the cocooning strategy. In multivariate analysis, factors associated with acceptance among women were younger age, higher knowledge, having received advice during pregnancy, being vaccinated against influenza, and having never refused any vaccine; among health professionals, factors associated with acceptance were belief that inactivated vaccines are obstetrically safe, regular practice of influenza vaccination in pregnant women, pertussis cocooning strategy, and never prescribing preventive homeopathy for influenza.

CONCLUSION

Vaccination of pregnant women against pertussis should be well-accepted by informed mothers and health professionals. If this strategy were to be implemented in France, efforts should be made towards adequate information.

Population perception of mandatory childhood vaccination programme before its implementation, France, 2017

BackgroundVaccination policy in France was previously characterised by the coexistence of eight recommended and three mandatory vaccinations for children younger than 2 years old. These 11 vaccines are now mandatory for all children born after 1 January 2018.AimTo study the French population's opinion about this new policy and to assess factors associated with a positive opinion during this changing phase.MethodsA cross-sectional survey about vaccination was conducted from 16 November-19 December 2017 among the GrippeNet.fr cohort. Data were weighted for age, sex and education according to the French population. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify factors associated with a favourable opinion on mandatory vaccines' extension and defined in the '3Cs' model by the World Health Organization Strategic Advisory Group of Experts working group on vaccine hesitancy.ResultsOf the 3,222 participants (response rate 50.5%) and after adjustment, 64.5% agreed with the extension of mandatory vaccines. It was considered a necessary step by 68.7% of the study population, while 33.8% considered it unsafe for children and 56.9% saw it as authoritarian. Factors associated with a positive opinion about the extension of mandatory vaccines were components of the confidence, complacency and convenience dimensions of the '3Cs' model.ConclusionsIn our sample, two thirds of the French population was in favour of the extension of mandatory vaccines for children. Perception of vaccine safety and benefits were major predictors for positive and negative opinions about this new policy.

Patients' high acceptability of a future therapeutic HIV vaccine in France: a French paradox?

Background

France is the European country with the lowest level of confidence in vaccines. Measurement of patients’ acceptability towards a future therapeutic HIV vaccine is critically important. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate patients’ acceptability of a future therapeutic HIV vaccine in a representative cohort of French patients living with HIV-AIDS (PLWHs).

Methods

This multicentre study used quantitative and qualitative methods to assess PLWHs’ opinions and their potential acceptance of a future therapeutic HIV vaccine. Cross-sectional study on 220 HIV-1 infected outpatients, aged 18–75 years.

Results

The participants’ characteristics were similar to those of the overall French PLWH population. Responses from the questionnaires showed high indices of acceptance: the mean score for acceptability on the Visual Analog Scale VAS was 8.4 of 10, and 92% of patients agreed to be vaccinated if a therapeutic vaccine became available. Acceptability depended on the expected characteristics of the vaccine, notably the duration of its effectiveness: 44% of participants expected it to be effective for life. This acceptance was not associated with socio-demographic, clinical (mode of contamination, duration of disease), quality of life, or illness-perception parameters. Acceptability was also strongly correlated with confidence in the treating physician.

Conclusion

The PLWHs within our cohort had high indices of acceptance to a future therapeutic HIV vaccine.

Trial registration

This study was retroactively registered on ClinicalTrials.gov with ID: NCT02077101 in February 21, 2014.

Knowledge and attitudes on pediatric vaccinations and intention to vaccinate in a sample of pregnant women from the City of Rome

BACKGROUND

In recent years, pediatric immunization rates in Italy have decreased well below the recommended thresholds, largely due to an increase in scepticism about the efficacy and safety of vaccines. We aimed to identify the degree of such scepticism, and the factors driving it, among a sample of pregnant women in the City of Rome.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional survey on a sample of pregnant women attending antenatal classes (CANs) in Rome through distribution of a self-administered questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression models were built to analyze the determinants of knowledge, attitudes and intention to vaccinate in this population.

RESULTS

A total of 458 pregnant women attending CANs in 36 family health centers and two hospitals in Rome answered the survey. Mean age was 32.9 (±5.0) years, and over 90% of women were in their first pregnancy. More than 26% of respondents showed a good level of knowledge of the safety and efficacy of vaccines, but there were high rates of uncertainty or agreement with some of the most common anti-vaccination sentiments. Only 75% of women were sure about vaccinating their children with the hexavalent vaccine, and 64.3% with MMR. A good level of knowledge was the strongest predictor of positive attitudes towards vaccination (OR 11.61, 95% CI 6.43-20.96), which, in turn, influenced the intention to vaccinate for most vaccines with the perception of the benefit of immunization for protection against disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Scepticism about the safety, efficacy and importance of vaccines is associated to pregnant women's hesitancy to vaccinate their children, suggesting the need to develop strategies to increase vaccine acceptance in the antenatal period. The capacity of health care professionals, particularly midwives, to correctly deliver information to future parents should be strengthened in order to reduce the spread of misinformation and fear of vaccine safety.

Mandatory vaccination of infants in France: Is that the way forward?

In this opinion paper, the authors argue that the extension of mandatory immunization of infants up to two years of age from three diseases (diphtheria, tetanus, poliomyelitis) to 11 diseases, introduced in France in January 2018, is not a sustainable response to the challenge of controlling vaccine-preventable diseases. In France in 2017, infant immunization coverage (IC) rates were sufficiently high or increasing (hepatitis B), except for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) and meningococcus C disease. Even if vaccination obligation makes it possible to achieve the MMR IC objectives among infants, communication programmes and supported advice from GPs are essential for the catch-up of susceptible adults to obtain herd immunity. The impact of mandatory immunization on hesitancy remains uncertain, and it contradicts the evolution of the patient’s role in the governance of his own health and the principle of autonomy. Numerous studies have shown that interventions and advice from health professionals improve vaccine acceptance. To correct the poor implementation of some vaccination programmes by health professionals, strong communication and resources from health authorities are needed, rather than a retreat towards obligation. Reducing missed opportunities and increasing access to immunization are essential objectives. Finally, an immunization policy based on primary care and a patient-centred approach to each vaccination are more likely to reduce vaccine hesitancy, sustainably.

HPV vaccination rate in French adolescent girls: an example of vaccine distrust

OBJECTIVES

To explore the clinical issues of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination to develop explanatory hypotheses for the low level of vaccination among adolescent girls in France where the full course coverage is low (<15%).

DESIGN

We used semistructured interviews. Our qualitative and phenomenological procedure applied interpretative phenomenological analysis.

PARTICIPANTS

16 physicians regularly faced with the prescription of HPV vaccine, represented several medical specialties (paediatrics, general practice, internal medicine, gynaecology), with hospitalist or private practices.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The results connect three superordinate themes grouping three concentric levels: within society, during the consultation and in the individual doctor's feelings.

RESULTS

The modalities and contents of the information about HPV vaccination raise questions about the limitations of the information doctors receive. The ineluctable association between sexuality and HPV vaccination explains their reluctance to raise topics considered to be private. The reasons for HPV vaccination illustrate the difficulty of arguing in favour of it. In view of the frequent parental reluctance, which weakens the parent-physician alliance, physicians must take responsibility for defending the benefits of vaccination. They nonetheless remain citizens whose opinions may implicitly echo the general reluctance, promoted by disinformation. In delaying or avoiding the subject of vaccination, they involuntarily become an instrument of anti-vaccination discourse.

CONCLUSIONS

It is imperative to improve the distribution of credible information about vaccination, unbiased and scientifically supported by a strong institutional position and to rethink the place of the clinician in the system of adolescent health and disease prevention in France.

Strategies implemented to address vaccine hesitancy in France: A review article

Vaccination has been identified many decades ago as an effective means to prevent several diseases. However, in France, there is an emergence of vaccine hesitancy, that has caused a reduction of vaccination coverage rates. This issue reduces the effectiveness of the immunization process, and represents a real threat to public health that should be urgently addressed. The purpose of this review is to present actions that have been taken to fight against vaccine hesitancy and thus enhance vaccine uptake. The results indicate that different strategies have been proposed to reach this goal, mainly by vaccination campaigns. These findings highlight the strong implication of national health authorities and the medical staff of hospitals and health-care centers. However, actions implemented should be part of a long-term approach, and further studies are required to identify the most effective strategies to address vaccine hesitancy.

Measuring trust in vaccination: A systematic review

Vaccine acceptance depends on public trust and confidence in the safety and efficacy of vaccines and immunization, the health system, healthcare professionals and the wider vaccine research community. This systematic review analyses the current breadth and depth of vaccine research literature that explicitly refers to the concept of trust within their stated aims or research questions. After duplicates were removed, 19,643 articles were screened by title and abstract. Of these 2,779 were screened by full text, 35 of which were included in the final analysis. These studies examined a range of trust relationships as they pertain to vaccination, including trust in healthcare professionals, the health system, the government, and friends and family members. Three studies examined generalized trust. Findings indicated that trust is often referred to implicitly (19/35), rather than explicitly examined in the context of a formal definition or discussion of the existing literature on trust in a health context. Within the quantitative research analysed, trust was commonly measured with a single-item measure (9/25). Only two studies used validated multi-item measures of trust. Three studies examined changes in trust, either following an intervention or over the course of a pandemic. The findings of this review indicate a disconnect between the current vaccine hesitancy research and the wider health-related trust literature, a dearth in research on trust in low and middle-income settings, a need for studies on how trust levels change over time and investigations on how resilience to trust-eroding information can be built into a trustworthy health system.

The practices of French general practitioners regarding screening and counselling pregnant women for tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking

OBJECTIVES

Our study aims to describe French general practitioners' (GPs') practices toward pregnant patients regarding alcohol consumption and smoking and to highlight factors associated with specific practices.

METHODS

In 2015, a representative sample of 1414 French GPs completed a telephone survey based on a stratified random sampling.

RESULTS

61% of GPs declared screening for alcohol use and 82% for smoking at least once with each pregnant patient; quitting was not systematically advised either for alcohol or for smoking. GPs' practices were significantly better among those who had more recent ongoing training. GPs who drank regularly were less likely to screen for alcohol use and GPs' drinking frequency was inversely related to recommending quitting. Current and former smokers were less likely to recommend quitting to pregnant patients smoking over five cigarettes per day.

CONCLUSIONS

Screening and counselling practices for substance use during pregnancy are heterogeneous among French GPs and are notably related to their personal consumption. GP's role in preventing substance use during pregnancy could be strengthened by actions regarding their own consumption and by modifications in their initial and ongoing training.

General practitioners' perceptions of vaccination controversies: a French nationwide cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to study general practitioners' (GPs') perceptions of vaccines that have been a subject of controversy in France.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey in 2014 asked a representative national sample of GPs, randomly selected from the exhaustive database of health professionals in France, about their perceptions of the likelihood of serious adverse events potentially associated with six different vaccines: for two of them the association was based on some scientific evidence, whereas for the other four this is not the case. We performed a cluster analysis to construct a typology of GPs' perceptions about the likelihood of these potential six associations. Factors associated with certain clusters of interest were identified using logistic regression models.

RESULTS

Overall, 1582 GPs participated in the questionnaire survey (1582/1712 GPs who agreed to participate, 92%). Cluster analysis identified four groups of GPs according to their susceptibility to vaccine controversies: 1) limited susceptibility to controversies (52%); 2) overall unsure, but rejected the association between hepatitis B vaccine and multiple sclerosis (32%); 3) highly susceptible to controversies (11%); and 4) unsure (5%). We found that GPs who occasionally practised alternative medicine (OR 2.71, 95% CI 1.65-4.45), and those who considered information provided by mass media as reliable (OR 2.04, 95% CI 1.65-3.99) were more susceptible to controversies.

CONCLUSIONS

GPs had different profiles of susceptibility to vaccination controversies, and most of their perceptions of these controversies were not based on scientific evidence.