Intention of healthcare workers to accept COVID-19 vaccination and related factors: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Petros Galanis; Despoina Fragkou; Irene Vraka; Angeliki Bilali; Daphne Kaitelidou

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Intention of healthcare workers to accept COVID-19 vaccination and related factors: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Author: Petros GALANIS ¹ ; Despoina FRAGKOU ¹ ; Irene VRAKA ² ; Angeliki BILALI ³ ; Daphne KAITELIDOU ⁴
Author Information

1. Clinical Epidemiology Laboratory, Faculty of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
2. Department of Radiology, P and A Kyriakou Children's Hospital
3. Hospital Waste Management Unit, P and A Kyriakou Children's Hospital
4. Center for Health Services Management and Evaluation, Faculty of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Publication Type:Journal Article
Keywords: COVID-19; Intention; SARS-CoV-2; Vaccination; Healthcare workers
From: Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine 2021;14(12):543-554
CountryChina
Language:Chinese
Abstract: Considering medical and economic burden of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a high COVID-19 vaccination coverage among healthcare workers (HCWs) is an urgent need. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the intention of HCWs to accept COVID-19 vaccination and to identify related factors. We searched PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, CINAHL and medRxiv until July 14, 2021. The heterogeneity between results was very high; thus, we applied a random effects model to estimate pooled effects. We performed subgroup and meta-regression analysis to identify possible resources of heterogeneity. Twenty four studies, including 50 940 HCWs, met the inclusion criteria. The overall proportion of HCWs that intend to accept COVID-19 vaccination was 63.5% (95% confidence interval: 56.5%-70.2%) with a wide range among studies from 27.7% to 90.1%. The following factors were associated with increased HCWs' willingness to get vaccinated against COVID-19: male gender, older age, white HCWs, physician profession, higher education level, comorbidity among HCWs, vaccination against flu during previous season, stronger vaccine confidence, positive attitude towards a COVID-19 vaccine, fear about COVID-19, individual perceived risk about COVID-19, and contact with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients. The reluctance of HCWs to vaccinate against COVID-19 could diminish the trust of individuals and trigger a ripple effect in the general public. Since vaccination is a complex behavior, understanding the way that HCWs take the decision to accept or refuse COVID-19 vaccination will give us the opportunity to develop the appropriate interventions to increase COVID-19 vaccination uptake.