Willingness of Taiwan’s Healthcare Workers and Outpatients to Vaccinate against COVID-19 during a Period without Community Outbreaks
To control the spread of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), COVID-19 vaccination has been quickly developed. However, the COVID-19 pandemic will not be controlled if the COVID-19 vaccination uptake willingness is low. Therefore, the study aim was to explore the COVID-19 vaccination uptak...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-03-01
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| Series: | Vaccines |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/9/3/246 |
| _version_ | 1797541686250831872 |
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| author | Shikha Kukreti Mei-Yun Lu Yi-Hsuan Lin Carol Strong Chung-Ying Lin Nai-Ying Ko Po-Lin Chen Wen-Chien Ko |
| author_facet | Shikha Kukreti Mei-Yun Lu Yi-Hsuan Lin Carol Strong Chung-Ying Lin Nai-Ying Ko Po-Lin Chen Wen-Chien Ko |
| author_sort | Shikha Kukreti |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | To control the spread of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), COVID-19 vaccination has been quickly developed. However, the COVID-19 pandemic will not be controlled if the COVID-19 vaccination uptake willingness is low. Therefore, the study aim was to explore the COVID-19 vaccination uptake willingness among the outpatient population and healthcare workers in Taiwan during the worldwide pandemic period without community outbreaks. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among healthcare workers (HCWs; <i>n</i> = 500; mean age = 32.96 years) of National Cheng Kung University Hospital (NCKUH) and outpatients (<i>n</i> = 238; mean age = 34.43 years) arriving at NCKUH. We used an online survey conducted between September 24 and 21 November 2020, for healthcare workers, and between 27 October and 31 December 2020, for the outpatient sample. Information regarding willingness to receive vaccination, willingness to rapid test, fear of COVID-19, risk perception, and preventive behaviors was collected in both samples; information regarding willingness to care for patients was collected in healthcare workers. Willingness to receive vaccination was the main variable in the present study; willingness to rapid test, willingness to care for patients, fear of COVID-19, risk perception, and preventive behaviors were the secondary variables in the study. The factors associated with vaccination willingness were identified through logistic regression analysis. The participants’ willingness to receive vaccination was low for both healthcare workers (23.4%) and the outpatient sample (30.7%). Similarly, their willingness to take rapid tests was low (23.6% for healthcare workers and 28.6% for outpatient sample). Risk perception (crude odds ratio (COR) = 1.29; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.03, 1.63), willingness to take rapid test (COR = 9.24; 95% CI = 5.76, 14.83), and preventive COVID-19 infection behaviors (COR = 2.32; 95% CI = 1.52, 3.56) were significant factors explaining the healthcare workers’ willingness to receive vaccination. Willingness to take a rapid test (COR = 8.91; 95% CI = 4.71, 16.87) and preventive COVID-19 infection behaviors (COR = 1.69; 95% CI = 1.09, 2.60) were significant factors explaining the outpatient sample’s willingness to receive vaccination. Willingness to vaccinate against COVID-19 among HCWs and outpatients is low due to the relatively safe status of COVID-19 infection in Taiwan. These findings can help policymakers advocate for the effectiveness of and provide transparent information on COVID-19 vaccination uptake in a country/region with a relatively safe COVID-19 outbreak status. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T13:19:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-85281a270c95436e877559fdc4661df4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-393X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T13:19:24Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Vaccines |
| spelling | doaj.art-85281a270c95436e877559fdc4661df42023-11-21T10:09:59ZengMDPI AGVaccines2076-393X2021-03-019324610.3390/vaccines9030246Willingness of Taiwan’s Healthcare Workers and Outpatients to Vaccinate against COVID-19 during a Period without Community OutbreaksShikha Kukreti0Mei-Yun Lu1Yi-Hsuan Lin2Carol Strong3Chung-Ying Lin4Nai-Ying Ko5Po-Lin Chen6Wen-Chien Ko7Department of Public Health, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, TaiwanDepartment of Public Health, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, TaiwanDepartment of Nursing, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, TaiwanDepartment of Public Health, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, TaiwanInstitute of Allied Health Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, TaiwanDepartment of Nursing, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, TaiwanCenter for Infection Control, Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, TaiwanCenter for Infection Control, Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, TaiwanTo control the spread of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), COVID-19 vaccination has been quickly developed. However, the COVID-19 pandemic will not be controlled if the COVID-19 vaccination uptake willingness is low. Therefore, the study aim was to explore the COVID-19 vaccination uptake willingness among the outpatient population and healthcare workers in Taiwan during the worldwide pandemic period without community outbreaks. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among healthcare workers (HCWs; <i>n</i> = 500; mean age = 32.96 years) of National Cheng Kung University Hospital (NCKUH) and outpatients (<i>n</i> = 238; mean age = 34.43 years) arriving at NCKUH. We used an online survey conducted between September 24 and 21 November 2020, for healthcare workers, and between 27 October and 31 December 2020, for the outpatient sample. Information regarding willingness to receive vaccination, willingness to rapid test, fear of COVID-19, risk perception, and preventive behaviors was collected in both samples; information regarding willingness to care for patients was collected in healthcare workers. Willingness to receive vaccination was the main variable in the present study; willingness to rapid test, willingness to care for patients, fear of COVID-19, risk perception, and preventive behaviors were the secondary variables in the study. The factors associated with vaccination willingness were identified through logistic regression analysis. The participants’ willingness to receive vaccination was low for both healthcare workers (23.4%) and the outpatient sample (30.7%). Similarly, their willingness to take rapid tests was low (23.6% for healthcare workers and 28.6% for outpatient sample). Risk perception (crude odds ratio (COR) = 1.29; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.03, 1.63), willingness to take rapid test (COR = 9.24; 95% CI = 5.76, 14.83), and preventive COVID-19 infection behaviors (COR = 2.32; 95% CI = 1.52, 3.56) were significant factors explaining the healthcare workers’ willingness to receive vaccination. Willingness to take a rapid test (COR = 8.91; 95% CI = 4.71, 16.87) and preventive COVID-19 infection behaviors (COR = 1.69; 95% CI = 1.09, 2.60) were significant factors explaining the outpatient sample’s willingness to receive vaccination. Willingness to vaccinate against COVID-19 among HCWs and outpatients is low due to the relatively safe status of COVID-19 infection in Taiwan. These findings can help policymakers advocate for the effectiveness of and provide transparent information on COVID-19 vaccination uptake in a country/region with a relatively safe COVID-19 outbreak status.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/9/3/246COVID-19healthcare workersoutpatientwillingnessvaccination |
| spellingShingle | Shikha Kukreti Mei-Yun Lu Yi-Hsuan Lin Carol Strong Chung-Ying Lin Nai-Ying Ko Po-Lin Chen Wen-Chien Ko Willingness of Taiwan’s Healthcare Workers and Outpatients to Vaccinate against COVID-19 during a Period without Community Outbreaks Vaccines COVID-19 healthcare workers outpatient willingness vaccination |
| title | Willingness of Taiwan’s Healthcare Workers and Outpatients to Vaccinate against COVID-19 during a Period without Community Outbreaks |
| title_full | Willingness of Taiwan’s Healthcare Workers and Outpatients to Vaccinate against COVID-19 during a Period without Community Outbreaks |
| title_fullStr | Willingness of Taiwan’s Healthcare Workers and Outpatients to Vaccinate against COVID-19 during a Period without Community Outbreaks |
| title_full_unstemmed | Willingness of Taiwan’s Healthcare Workers and Outpatients to Vaccinate against COVID-19 during a Period without Community Outbreaks |
| title_short | Willingness of Taiwan’s Healthcare Workers and Outpatients to Vaccinate against COVID-19 during a Period without Community Outbreaks |
| title_sort | willingness of taiwan s healthcare workers and outpatients to vaccinate against covid 19 during a period without community outbreaks |
| topic | COVID-19 healthcare workers outpatient willingness vaccination |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/9/3/246 |
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