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Kessy SJ, Wei T, Zhou Y, Zhang W, Alwy Al‐Beity FM, Zhang S, Du J, Cui F, Lu Q. Vaccination willingness, vaccine hesitancy, and estimated coverage of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine among healthcare workers in Tanzania: A call for action. Immun Inflamm Dis 2023; 11:e1126. [PMID: 38156379 PMCID: PMC10750438 DOI: 10.1002/iid3.1126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The global COVID-19 pandemic presented an immense obstacle to public health, with vaccination emerging as a crucial measure to curb transmission. This study aimed to evaluate the willingness, hesitancy, and coverage of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines among healthcare workers (HCWs) in Tanzania and reveal their concerns about SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and the reasons that might prevent them from getting vaccinated. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional study using an anonymous online survey from October to November 2022. The multivariate logistic regression model explored the factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 vaccine willingness, hesitancy, and coverage. RESULTS The study included 560 HCWs, with the largest group being doctors (47.9%), followed by nurses (26.9%) and other HCWs (25.2%). A total of 70.5% of HCWs reported being vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. The primary driver for SARS-CoV-2 vaccination was collective responsibility. A total of 81.4% of HCWs reported being willing to accept SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, while 62.5% of HCWs reported vaccine hesitancy. HCWs with higher educational qualifications were likelier to take the vaccine, while the respondents aged 18-30 years had the highest SARS-CoV-2 vaccination refusal (71.9%). We also investigated the role of HCWs as a source of information to promote COVID-19 vaccine uptake. 79.4% of HCWs provided information and advice on SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. CONCLUSION To increase vaccine acceptance among HCWs and the general population, targeted messaging is needed to deliver transparent information on vaccine safety, efficacy, and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzan Joseph Kessy
- Department of Laboratory Science and Technology & Vaccine Research CenterSchool of Public Health, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
- Training DivisionInfection Control African Network (ICAN)Cape TownSouth Africa
| | - Tingting Wei
- Department of Laboratory Science and Technology & Vaccine Research CenterSchool of Public Health, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Yiguo Zhou
- Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Public HealthPeking UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Wan‐Xue Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public HealthPeking UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Fadhlun M. Alwy Al‐Beity
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of MedicineMuhimbili University of Allied Sciences (MUHAS)Dar es SalaamTanzania
| | - Shan‐Shan Zhang
- Global Center for Infectious Disease and Policy Research & Global Health and Infectious Diseases GroupPeking UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Juan Du
- Global Center for Infectious Disease and Policy Research & Global Health and Infectious Diseases GroupPeking UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Fuqiang Cui
- Department of Laboratory Science and Technology & Vaccine Research CenterSchool of Public Health, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
- Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Public HealthPeking UniversityBeijingChina
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public HealthPeking UniversityBeijingChina
- Global Center for Infectious Disease and Policy Research & Global Health and Infectious Diseases GroupPeking UniversityBeijingChina
- Key Laboratory of Epidemiology of Major Diseases (Peking University), Ministry of EducationBeijingChina
| | - Qing‐Bin Lu
- Department of Laboratory Science and Technology & Vaccine Research CenterSchool of Public Health, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
- Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Public HealthPeking UniversityBeijingChina
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public HealthPeking UniversityBeijingChina
- Global Center for Infectious Disease and Policy Research & Global Health and Infectious Diseases GroupPeking UniversityBeijingChina
- Key Laboratory of Epidemiology of Major Diseases (Peking University), Ministry of EducationBeijingChina
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Masood S, Alkubaisi NA, Aslam M, Salman M, Baraka MA, Mustafa ZU, Mallhi TH, Khan YH, Meyer JC, Godman B. Knowledge of Human Monkeypox Infection among Final Year Medical, Pharmacy, and Nursing Students: A Multicenter, Cross-Sectional Analysis from Pakistan. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:2777. [PMID: 37893851 PMCID: PMC10606159 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11202777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency in June 2022. In Pakistan, positive cases of monkeypox were reported in April 2023. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are considered as a front-line force to combat such outbreaks. A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 11 public sector educational institutions in Punjab, Pakistan, during May and June 2023 among final year medical, pharmacy, and nursing students concerning their knowledge of monkeypox. This included the signs/symptoms of monkeypox. Healthcare students were chosen as they are the HCWs of tomorrow. A total of 389 healthcare students participated in the study, with a mean age of 23.17 ± 1.72 years, and the majority were female. The mean knowledge score was 17.69 ± 4.55 (95% CI 17.24-18.14) out of a maximum total knowledge score of 26 (each correct answer was given a score of 1). The proportion of students with good, moderate, and poor knowledge was 21.6%, 43.2%, and 35.2%, respectively. Age (p = 0.017), gender (p < 0.001), and education (p < 0.001) had a significant impact on the knowledge score. In the multivariate linear regression model, education was the only significant factor linked to knowledge scores. Overall, the majority of future HCWs had moderate knowledge of monkeypox. Consequently, educational activities are needed to improve monkeypox-related knowledge among future HCWs. Furthermore, emerging infectious diseases should be routinely incorporated into HCW curricula.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahabia Masood
- Department of Medicine, University Medical and Dental College Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
| | - Noorah A Alkubaisi
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Maryam Aslam
- Basic Health Unit (BHU), 554GB, Tehsil Tandlianwala, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Salman
- Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical and Allied Health Sciences, Lahore College for Women University, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
| | - Mohamed A Baraka
- Department of Pharmacy, Fatima College of Health Sciences, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 3798, United Arab Emirates
- Clinical Pharmacy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11651, Egypt
| | - Zia Ul Mustafa
- Discipline of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Gelugor 11800, Penang, Malaysia
- Department of Pharmacy Services, District Headquarter (DHQ) Hospital, Pakpattan 57400, Pakistan
| | - Tauqeer Hussain Mallhi
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Jouf University, Sakaka 72388, Saudi Arabia
| | - Yusra Habib Khan
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Jouf University, Sakaka 72388, Saudi Arabia
| | - Johanna C Meyer
- Department of Public Health Pharmacy and Management, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria 0208, South Africa
| | - Brian Godman
- Department of Public Health Pharmacy and Management, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria 0208, South Africa
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science (SIPBS), University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0RE, UK
- Centre of Medical and Bio-Allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, Ajman P.O. Box 346, United Arab Emirates
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