Abstract:
The global health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant
impact. The success of large-scale COVID-19 vaccination efforts has been
hindered by the reluctance of certain populations to get vaccinated. Given that
healthcare professionals play a crucial role in advising and administering
vaccines and can potentially spread infections within healthcare settings, it is
essential to prioritize COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among healthcare workers.
To achieve this, understanding the reasons behind their hesitancy is
imperative. A cross-sectional study was performed involving 400 Health Care
Workers (HCW) in the Teaching Hospital Rathnapura using questionnaire-based
assessment in October 2022. Univariate and multivariate analyses were
performed to identify factors associated with vaccine hesitancy using IBM-SPSS
version 29. 94.5% of the sample had taken at least one dose of vaccine. 5.5% of
participants have completely rejected taking the vaccine. While 275 (68.8%) had
completed taking all 3 doses, 100 (25.0%) had only 2 doses and 3 (0.8%) had
taken only one dose. Vaccine hesitancy was associated with age (majority > 50
years); employment status and education level. Gender, ethnicity and religion did
not have any association with vaccine hesitancy. The primary worry revolved
around experiencing adverse reactions, while potential impacts on existing health
conditions, fears of fertility issues, and uncertainty about long-term
complications were also factors causing apprehension. Conversely, many
individuals cited the desire to build herd immunity and safeguard both patients
and their family members as the leading reasons for getting vaccinated. Notably,
instances of health issues following the initial dose played a significant role in
individuals missing their subsequent vaccine doses. COVID-19 vaccination has
witnessed a substantial level of acceptance among healthcare workers (HCWs),
but a significant portion of participants expressed apprehensions about their well
being. The study has highlighted specific reasons for hesitancy and prevalent
concerns, which should be taken into account in future vaccination initiatives to
enhance overall vaccine acceptance.
